


Mega Man Recut: Season 2

by BlackRussian



Series: Mega Man Recut [4]
Category: Mega Man (Cartoon 1994), Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: 90s cartoon universe, Adaptation Expansion, Alternate Canon, Comic Book Science, Crimes & Criminals, Deviates From Canon, Dramatic Irony, Family Drama, Farce, Gen, Humor, Mad Science, Novelization, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, References to Canon, Retelling, even from the really obscure games, includes characters from the Classic series that did not appear in the cartoon, rated for mild language and some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 08:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 263,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18634795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRussian/pseuds/BlackRussian
Summary: Mega Man has made it his mission to get through to his wayward brother, hoping Proto Man will someday give up crime forever. Meanwhile Proto Man is caught in a feud with a mysterious criminal roboticist, Roll has various misadventures with Robot Masters, and Dr. Wily's schemes get even weirder. Ruby-Spears cartoon retcon.





	1. Campus Commandos: Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mega Man Recut is a Dark Comedy/Crime Story retcon of the Ruby-Spears's Mega Man cartoon. While I try to honor the original cartoon as closely as possible, I also take artistic license with characterizations, dialog, and continuity to create a fluid novelization. I wrote this with the fans of the old cartoon show in mind. If any of you are out there, I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Mega Man Recut takes place in a fictional universe parallel to Earth in the 1990s. Any resemblances to current or historical events are coincidental.

****

**Episode 14: Campus Commandos**

It was the end of August, two months since Dr. Wily's last mission, of which he had returned from Wily Island defeated and in a rage. The Robot Masters were spending another uneventful day in the armory waiting for Dr. Wily to call upon them for a mission. While many of the Robot Masters passed time by recharging, tuning up, training, or other constructive activities, Air Man, Crystal Man, Dust Man, Magnet Man and Ring Man had gathered around a table and were playing H.O.R.S.E.

"Anyone know if anything's going on upstairs yet?" asked Air Man as he dealt the cards between them.

"Dunno, Dr. Wily and Proto Man left again today. Had something to do with a new college for robotics," said Ring Man, scooping up his hand.

"Yeah, it's called Light University," joined in Crystal Man. "Dr. Wily took took Cut Man and Guts Man with him, which is too bad…they're always loose with their chips."

They all snickered, placed their first round of bets, then Air Man dealt the flop.

"Snake Man went too," said Ring Man. "He really wanted to go. At least, I think he wanted to go…that hissing makes him hard to understand."

They placed another round of bets.

"Wish we could have gone too, college parties are wild…" Ring Man continued. "But Proto Man wanted to keep the team small…said it was a dumb mission."

"Can't be any worse than his Wily's last mission," commented Air Man. "It never made it out of the South Pacific."

They placed the third round of bets. Magnet Man folded, then Air Man laid down the turn.

"Yeah, that was an embarrassing failure for Dr. Wily," said Crystal Man. "He was forced to get help from his archnemeses."

Ring Man snickered. "That's gotta hurt."

"Told 'em that island was cursed by aliens, but no one ever listens to ol' Dusty," muttered Dust Man, squinting at his hand.

Ring Man and Magnet Man exchanged glances with raised brows. "…Yeah, anyway, as I was saying, they've gone to conquer some college run by Dr. Light. Not sure why, Proto Man didn't say."

They completed one more round of betting (Air Man folded) then showed their cards, Ring Man winning the showdown. This didn't come as much of a surprise to anyone, as Ring Man was considered a shark at poker.

Ring Man smugly scraped the poker chips to his side of the table. He then picked up the deck and began shuffling in an ostentatious way that involved cutting the deck multiple times and flipping the cards around his fingers, showing off the legerdemain skills he had been programmed with when he was originally built to run a ring toss game at Fun World. When boredom was at an all time high, Ring Man had few pastimes at Skull Fortress: going A.W.O.L. with his best buddy Magnet Man to one of the local country villages to hang out, playing cards, and taunting Elec Man, who was very stuck up and therefore a favorable target.

"Hello…Spanner. Ever think the Syndicate will come rescue you?" Ring Man called coolly as Elec Man passed the poker table, dealing the cards for another round.

The Steel Crescent Syndicate was one of the most feared crime organizations in the entire criminal underground, host of some of the most powerful and sinister Robot Masters ever to exist, and ruled by three crime bosses. Their major revenue came from extortion, under the table business deals, and casinos. Elec Man was one of the first Robot Masters Dr. Wily had stolen and reprogrammed. Though his memories of working with the Syndicate were completely scrambled, Elec Man still retained an attitude of contempt toward Dr. Wily and everyone loyal to him, and his current predicament remained a constant sore point for him. Ring Man, being a bit of a punk, always knew how to touch a nerve.

Elec Man froze, and gave Ring Man a cold look. "Let me put this in words you'll understand…get out of my face or I'll kill you."

Air Man and Crystal Man remained silent, pretending to be absorbed in their hands while casting surreptitious looks at Ring Man, clearly thinking it unwise to provoke Elec Man.

"Really? I heard you got defeated by a domestic bot armed with household appliances on your first mission with Dr. Wily," Ring Man jeered recklessly. "So tell me, what would happen if you disobeyed one of Wily's orders? Would your head explode?"

"I know carney robots are programmed to be stupid, but you should show more respect…I'm part of the Syndicate, we recycle robots like you daily for poker chips."

Ring Man snickered. " _Ex_ -Syndicate. Now you're just Wily's little b—"

Magnet Man gave Ring Man a swift kick under the table. "Watch it," he warned.

"Why? He can't hurt us, he's not allowed to," retorted Ring Man.

Elec Man's eyes narrowed. Then, to the surprise of everyone there, he smiled, and took a seat at the poker table. "Deal me in."

Ring Man stared at him blankly. "Er...What?"

Elec Man continued smiling, with a small shrug. "I want to play."

Magnet Man looked from Ring Man to Elec Man, then dropped his hand on the table and stood up. "Fold."

"Yeah, me too."

"Ditto."

"Yup."

Ring Man was looking a little nervous as Air Man, Crystal Man, and Dust Man all threw down their cards and left the table, leaving him alone with Elec Man.

The challenge had attracted attention. Crash Man, Bomb Man, and Drill Man, who had all formerly worked at Pfister Mining & Manufacturing, had gathered quietly to watch. Being industrial robots built for monotonous, high precision tasks that centered around productivity, they were fond of the quiet, efficient android who kept mostly to himself, and were obviously rooting for Elec Man as they disliked Ring Man and Magnet Man, who they considered lazy mooches.

Elec Man gathered up the cards and began shuffling.

"I'm calling the game," said Ring Man quickly, feeling pressured by the watching Robot Masters to uphold his reputation.

"You can call whatever you want." Elec Man's shuffling wasn't as flashy as Ring Man's, but like his nature it was neat, calculated, professional, and seemingly effortless.

"Omaha."

"My favorite."

Ring Man noticed something different in Elec Man. First (and most strangely) he was in a good mood, but he also exhibited a strange sort of imposing cunning and subtle cruelty. Elec Man dealt the cards between them with lightening speed, and Ring Man hastily scooped up his hand.

Elec Man hadn't taken his eyes off Ring Man. "Don't worry. Poker is, at its core, a game of chance, after all...and I'm _sure_ you don't cheat. We'll start the betting at one and go up from there."

Ring Man squinted at Elec Man."One dollar?"

"One grand."

"...uh."

Ring Man lost every single hand. The Pfister Robots, who normally did not care for these type of human activities, considered this a very satisfying match, and gave an impressed murmur when the game had ended. Elec Man had won all of Ring Man's money, his hoverboard, a TV and game system, and various other possessions.

"Since you have nothing else to bet other than the armor on your back, I think we'll call it quits then," said Elec Man pleasantly, standing up and tossing his hand back toward the deck.

"Yeah, whatever," grumbled Ring Man, shoving off moodily from the table.

* * *

Later, Elec Man looked over the pile of junk he had collected during the poker game, and sighed. "What am I supposed to do with all this shit?"

* * *

Though the hiatus from Dr. Wily's spree of crazy World Conquest schemes was welcome, Dr. Light found he did not have much time to relax, for he had spent the last couple of months embarking on a new enterprise.

Located just above the northern suburbs of New York City lay Light University, a brand new academy to meet the growing number of humans choosing careers in robotics. Many of the new students had either graduated or taken courses at the University of Robotics in downtown New York City, but Dr. Light had also accepted a few promising applicants straight out of high school.

The campus contained an assortment of laboratory buildings and lecture halls, all reflecting Dr. Light's taste in art deco. Its grounds were neat and fresh, covered in rolling lawns of rich green grass, leafy, sweet smelling shrubs, and freshly planted trees.

It was the day before classes started, and several hundred plastic folding chairs had been arranged in front of the University Centre (a stately neoclassic building of brown brick), and were packed with new students who had gathered to listen to an address from Dr. Light. Among the non-student attendees were Harold Hill, the mayor of New York City, and Bree Ricotta of Channel 3 News, who had shown up with Ted Graham (her usual cameraman) to cover the event.

Dr. Light stood at the podium on top of the temporary stage, and was wearing his best royal blue tie for the occasion.

"—And so, my fellow students, I am very proud to announce the grand opening of your new institution of higher learning, Light University!" Dr. Light was saying over the microphone, smiling proudly at the assembly. "I have opened my new campus for all of you to learn the many skills of the robo sciences, to help me continue my research, and complete some of my most promising inventions. After all, helping mankind is every robot's prime directive."

* * *

Dr. Wily and Proto Man watched Dr. Light's grand speech through a battonton's spy camera feed while they flew the Skullker toward Light University.

"Speak for yourself, Light," Proto Man said at Dr. Light's closing words, smirking toward Dr. Wily.

"Oh….don't worry, Proto," replied Dr. Wily in an oily tone. "In a few hours, the school is going to have a new Dean who intends to change their prime directive." He gave a drawn out maniacal laugh.

In the fuselage behind them sat Cut Man, Guts Man, and Snake Man, waiting for their next set of instructions.

Snake Man was brooding. He regarded his creator with the utmost respect, and felt he had fallen into disgrace for failing twice to help Dr. Wily take over the world (first when he had switched bodies with Mega Man, an experience that had forever changed him and solidified his animosity toward Mega Man, then secondly with the Robosaurs). He had to make things right. Though Proto Man had insisted this mission was small scale, he had volunteered to come, taking any opportunity he could to destroy Mega Man before Proto Man could, thereby restoring his honor and fulfilling Dr. Wily's wishes. It had been a long time since he had had a proper showdown with Mega Man. There had always something in his way—a secret, uncontrollable and entirely unwanted sentimentality distracted him from his personal mission—

He wouldn't think about that right now. Even if he couldn't control this feeling, with any luck he could avoid _her_ and therefore suppress the debilitating condition and fulfill his mission once and for all.

Though he knew internally he was at war with himself. His logic circuits were constantly at odds with his buggy emotion circuits, which would not register things like ' _she's an enemy'_ or ' _she was built by Dr. Light, the rival to your creator'_ or even ' _she's Mega Man and Proto Man's sister'—_ and was beginning to wonder hopelessly which was stronger—his logic, or his emotion.

* * *

After Dr. Light's speech, the crowd broke up to explore campus. A flock of fork-lift like custodian robots descended upon the vacated chairs, whisking them away while small self-powered vacuum drones sucked up litter.

Having watched from the back row, Mega Man hung back as inconspicuously as a world famous robot dressed in blue titanium armor could while Dr. Light took an interview from Bree Ricotta. He for one was more than content to stay out of the news for a change and decided instead to take a walk around campus.

Many of the students were dispersed across the grounds, enjoying their last free day by playing frisbee or lying under the shade of trees.

"Nice weather. Big change deep freeze last year, right?" asked a familiar voice from behind Mega Man.

Mega Man whirled around, then broke into a grin. "Ramón!"

"My man."

They clasped hands. Ramón looked a bit different from what he had during Dr. Wily's deep freeze on New York City. He had the same haircut, but had ditched his biker jacket for a short-sleeve rugby shirt.

"Are you taking classes here?" asked Mega Man curiously.

"Not full time, I got work at an electronic store, but Dr. Light promised as long I never skipped class and studied hard, he'd foot my tuition," answered Ramón with a shy grin, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It's really cool of him to let me in."

"Think nothing of it, you helped us defeat Ice Man. Besides, anyone who's seriously interested in creating robots belongs here. Where are Bobby and Janet? Are they here too?"

"Nah, they never wanted to go on to college. Bobby's working with his uncle in Louisiana now, and Janet's joining the Peace Corps. I still keep up with them though."

Mega Man smiled. Good for them.

"I saw Roll earlier," Ramón continued. "She signed up to be a student, Mega. Are you going to join us too?"

"Roll signed up to be a student? Here?" Mega Man repeated, astonished. "That's the first I've heard of that."

"Oh, she told me to keep it a secret...but I thought you were in on it too, being her brother and all."

Mega Man blinked, then smiled impishly. "A secret, huh? Well thanks for telling me then, I like to keep an eye on her. As for me, I already got a full time job taking on Wily and his bots."

"Hey Ramón!" called someone. Mega Man and Ramón looked up. A group of students was standing across campus at the dining hall, looking their way. "We're gonna grab a bite before orientation, you comin'?" called the speaker again.

"Yeah, I'm comin', be there in a sec!" Ramón called back.

"New friends?" asked Mega Man.

"Yeah," answered Ramón, grinning. "Catch ya later, Mega!"

Ramón waved goodbye then hurried off to join his friends. A few them shouted out cheerfully to Mega Man before ducking into the dining hall with Ramón.

"Hey Mega Man! You're awesome!"

"Keep it up, Blue Bomber!"

Mega Man waved at them, smiling to himself, then decided to go find his sister.

Some of the alumni from the New York University of Robotics were taking graduate studies here, and many of their prototypes were roaming the lawns. On the football field a full team of fierce looking robot football players were executing plays under the guidance of their roboticists, their heavy armor painted in Light University's red and gold. According to the scoreboard, the team was called the Robo Raiders, and they played NYUoR's Titanium Titans next Saturday. They even had robotic cheerbots and a robotic marching band.

A painter-bot was kneeling on the pavement, recreating _Luncheon of the Boating Party_ in chalk, with retro-style robots replacing the picnickers.

"Love the modern take on a Renoir classic," commented Mega Man, looking over the painter-bot's shoulder. "You should paint something like that for the University Center, I'm sure Dr. Light would approve."

"Shh, I'm busy!" snapped the painterbot, giving him an aggrieved look. "Go away."

"Oh, uh, sorry," said Mega Man quietly, carefully stepping around the drawing as he moved on.

Finally, Mega Man spotted Roll, who was hanging out (unsurprisingly) near an outdoor fighting ring. She was watching a blue boxing robot spar with a martial arts robot wearing white sheet metal shaped to resembled a karate gi.

"Hyah!" cried the martial arts robot as he leapt into the air for a flying kick. The boxer-bot's head was knocked back on its neck like a pez dispenser, forcing it to totter out of the fighting ring to fix it. The martial arts robot noticed Mega Man and bowed. "I am Kung Fu Bot, built by Kenneth Weinstein (class of 1995) to be a master of robo-martial arts. I'm studying karate to be a fighter bot, just like you, Mega Man!" he announced.

"Uh, okay, neat," replied Mega Man, eyeing the student-built prototype dubiously.

Roll gave an annoyed huff as the robot resumed fighting the boxing robot, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "That's inaccurate," she told Mega man scathingly. "A kung fu robot that's programmed to do karate? _Really?_ And he's wearing the wrong uniform."

"Give him a break, he can't help what he is, and I'm sure Kenneth Weinstein doesn't watch as many kung fu movies as you...or practice it either."

They departed from the fighting ring together to stroll aimlessly across campus.

"This just makes me mad," said Mega Man, tearing a Cold Steel poster off the wall of the engineering building and throwing it in a recycling bin. " _Why_ are they still popular? They only produced one record, it was terrible, and they haven't made a public appearance since their cover was blown."

"Yeah, and thank god for that—though I wouldn't mind socking Gyro Man in the face for ol' times sake."

"Is he still not returning your calls?" Mega Man asked with mock indignation.

"Shut up! It was just a kiss, and I thought he was a rock star..." said Roll, looking harassed.

Mega Man snickered and changed the subject. "So I ran into Ramón earlier. He's taking classes here. Wild, right?"

"Yeah, he's really cleaned up his act."

"He also told me you signed up to be a student, is that true?"

Roll looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I have. Cool, huh?"

"Yeah, but...isn't this school for humans?"

"I know, but Light University is a college of Robotics, so I'll fit right in."

"Sure…they might even mix you up with their projects."

"You know perfectly well that we're both capable of blending in with humans," Roll retorted testily, "And that's what I'm planning to do. I'm going to pretend to be human and take classes here just like one."

"You're really serious about this then, huh? Why do you want to pretend to be human?" Mega Man asked. "We're advanced androids, in addition to our conscience, compassion, and self-determination, we're already programmed to feel the same emotions as humans. We even sleep and dream."

"We don't grow up or go to college. Haven't you ever been curious what it's like to live a normal human life?"

Mega Man reflected for a moment. "Not enough to pretend to be one and attend their schools, but...someday I'd like to retire being the World's robot hero and just be Rock, leading the normal life of Dr. Light's lab assistant again."

"But that's boring," said Roll dismissively. "College is supposed to be the ultimate experience of socialization and partying, and we're missing out!"

Mega Man raised an eyebrow. "I thought college was supposed to be about studying hard and bettering yourself for the work force?"

"Well, that too," Roll sighed. "Mostly, I'd like to make some new friends. We're so busy fighting Dr. Wily all the time that it seems like we never get a chance to meet anyone new." Her sky blue eyes looked at him seriously. "…You're not bothered that I'm pretending to be a student, are you?"

Mega Man snickered. "Like it'd stop you even if I was. Besides, what harm could you do?"

Roll smiled. "I've got everything set up, I'm fully registered to take classes and everything...I hate the picture on my student I.D. though. Wish the camerabot would have retaken it," she said, flashing her identification card with disdain.

"'Roll Lightbourne,' huh?" said Mega Man with amusement, plucking the I.D. from her fingers and holding it up. "Can't blame the bad photo on the poor camerabot, he was only working with what he had—"

He ducked as Roll swatted at him.

"Why don't you enroll too?" Roll asked, snatching her I.D. back. "C'mon, it'd be a snap to act like human brother and sister for us."

"Aren't you forgetting about Dr. Wily?"

"Of course not! But might as well do something fun while we wait for him to slink out of his hole again. Besides, it's not like we'd have to study or anything; I think we can handle doing both. We'd be like extra security working undercover for the University. Whatya say, Rocky Lightbourne?"

Mega Man chuckled. "No thanks, last time I tried to be more human I ended up assaulting Washington D.C., so I think I'll stick with being myself. You have fun though—just don't get too caught up in the human act and forget you're really a robot."

"Psh, like I'd forget I'm a robot, I have titanium bones and synthetic skin," returned Roll, rolling her eyes. "Still, if you change your mind—"

"—I'll let you know," completed Mega Man, grinning.

There was a resounding bang from overhead. Roll and Mega Man both jumped and looked up; the glass dome of Čapek Library had shattered from sudden impact. A second later, the roof of Vaucanson Hall disintegrated, blasted apart by an unseen force.

"Hit the deck, we're under attack!" shouted one of the Quarter-bots from the football field as the Skullker hovered into view, firing at the tops of campus buildings. The students scattered in all directions, their arms over their heads as falling debris hailed upon them.

"Wily's bots!" Roll shouted, glaring up at the Skullker. "What are they doing here?"

"Whatever it is, I'm going to nip it in the bud," remarked Mega Man. "You're on, boy!"

Rush barked and transformed into a jetboard, then he and Mega Man blasted off into the sky.

* * *

Within the Skullker, Dr. Wily stood facing Cut Man, Guts Man, and Snake Man. "Alright, bots! Prepare to storm the campus!" he ordered.

"Uh….slight change in plans, Wily," Proto Man called. He pointed out the cockpit window at Mega Man and Rush.

"Huh? Mega Man?! Blast that blue dweeb out of the sky!" Dr. Wily shouted, shaking his fist in rage.

"Hey, that's one order I don't mind taking," quipped Proto Man brightly, sliding his thumb over the laser trigger on the Skullker's yoke.

* * *

Mega Man and Rush were climbing high, and about to make a pass over the Skullker when the Skullker suddenly turned and became level with them, the jaw of its skull dropping to reveal a large laser cannon at its base.

 _Uh oh,_ thought Mega Man as a wide white beam from the Skullker's mouth streaked toward him. He held on as Rush darted from side to side to avoid being hit as the Skullker continued firing. "Wily means business," he muttered.

They weaved through consecutive laser blasts from the Skullker, which were becoming increasingly difficult to predict as the Skullker constantly changed position, its rotocraft design giving it maximum control to move smoothly along all axises while remaining vertically stable. Grimly, Mega Man realized he had no choice but to try and knock it out of the sky. "Try to get in closer!" he instructed Rush.

They struggled through more laser fire, Mega Man balancing precariously on Rush, who was careening like a surfboard caught in a hurricane, but finally, they were within range. Mega Man aimed at the belly of the Skullker and took a careful shot at the giant rotor.

* * *

The Skullker pitched violently in midair. Dr. Wily clung desperately to the back of the pilot's chair while the Robot Masters were thrown backward. Guts Man crashed into the back of the cockpit and Cut Man tumbled all the way to the fuselage.

"So, he wants to play rough," muttered Proto Man as he steadied himself. "...Okay by me!"

As the Skullker dropped altitude, he let go of the yoke, letting the nose point upward while simultaneously hitting the throttle for the backup thrusters. He crossed his sights with Mega Man's flight path, and, timing carefully, fired, striking the bottom side of Rush's jetboard.

"Yes! Got 'em!" cheered Proto Man, pumping a fist.

* * *

As soon as the laser blast hit, Mega Man and Rush went hurtling in opposite directions. Mega Man was falling face first, and could see Light University far below, just a patch of grounds between the gray concrete jungle south and the rolling green country north. He had to think fast, and he hadn't many options. Rush was nowhere to be seen, but as luck would have it, the Skullker was just underneath him, sinking slowly as its engines fought to even out.

Reaching out a hand, Mega Man caught the Skullker's vertical stabilizer, the sudden change in momentum jerking his body. He then pulled himself onto the roof and stood up, carefully balancing on the contoured surface, and blasted a hole into the cockpit.

"Thought I'd drop in for a visit, Proto," he called cheerfully.

"Later, Mega, I'm busy," Proto Man called back.

Proto Man twisted the yoke and the Skullker rolled sharply to the right, flinging Mega Man airborne again. Hoping he would land on somewhere soft, Mega Man collided with something hard and titanium, and much sooner than he expected—Rush had intercepted his fall.

Knowing Rush had taken the brunt of the Skullker's laser blast, Mega Man checked Rush for damage. Though Rush wasn't hurt, his jet engines had been hit pretty badly and were leaking fuel. He looked back at the Skullker and gritted his teeth. Even at the best of times, this wasn't an evenly matched battle; Proto Man was a better flyer and had a bigger gun.

"You're losing power, boy, we gotta call off the fight," Mega Man relented finally, patting Rush on the head. "C'mon, back to campus, hurry!"

Rush gave a reluctant growl, but obediently dropped altitude, and they fell back toward campus. Above, Proto Man had straightened the Skullker's trajectory and was flying in tight circles. Cut Man, Guts Man, and Snake Man leapt out the back to parachute in toward Light University.

* * *

Mayor Hill, Dr. Light, and Roll were watching fight from under the cover of trees.

"Wily's robots! They're invading the campus!" Mayor Hill declared anxiously to Dr. Light, pointing at the Robot Masters, small specs above.

"Don't worry, Harold. They'll never get past my forcefield," replied Dr. Light brightly, pulling out his pocket remote from labcoat and typing in a sequence.

* * *

The Robot Masters had almost reached the rooftop of the central building on Light University when a shimmering white dome, like a giant bubble, hissed to life over the entire campus.

"AAAAHHHH!" Cut Man cried as they collided with the forcefield. Energy crackled briefly through him before repelling him backward.

From the Skullker, Dr. Wily growled in frustration as he watched the Robot Masters fall to the ground, completely powered down. "That meddling Dr. Light put up a force field!"

* * *

"Well, looks like Wily's back," Mega Man remarked to Dr. Light, Mayor Hill, and Roll as they watched the Skullker swoop in low over the motionless Robot Masters, beam them inside using its red tractor beam, then zip away into the clouds.

* * *

Dr. Light hadn't been messing around with the campus forcefield. It was specially designed to incapacitate robots; Cut Man, Guts Man, and Snake Man all needed repairs just for touching it, and according to Dr. Wily, there was no way of getting past it.

Before going back to Skull Fortress to come up with a new plan of attack, Dr. Wily and Proto Man made a stop in a dodgy, crime-ridden sector of New York City rarely patrolled by robo-officers. After picking up black market replacement parts for the Skullker's damaged engine, they took the long trek back to the Skullker through the dingy streets.

This local Underground hub had grown seedier and much dirtier ever since the Steel Crescent Syndicate had removed its presence from New York City. The Cleopatra, a once Syndicate-controlled casino formerly guarded by Pharaoh Man, had been shut down. As they passed by, Proto Man looked at the hieroglyphic entrance of the abandoned casino with a brief moment of reflection.

_You know how to find me._

Proto Man had always been warned never to take the Syndicate lightly (especially one of their bosses), but it had been a few months since Centum's challenge, and nothing had happened so far. Proto Man had almost forgetten about the event. Perhaps Centum only cared about threats that could affect his criminal empire; since Dr. Wily's schemes last scheme had never made it to the U.S. (not for lack of trying), maybe Centum figured they had backed down.

Dr. Wily waved a hand in front of his visor. "Proto, are you listening?"

"Sorry, was thinking about something else," Proto Man admitted without chagrin. Dr. Wily had been ranting obsessively about every little detail he hated about Mega Man and Dr. Light, from their meddling to Dr. Light's choice in tie, and he had been purposely tuning him out.

"Well pay attention! This is of the utmost importance! 'Light University of Robo-Science,' oh, he thinks he is _so_ clever…" Dr. Wily continued to seethe. "I hated college. No one ever concentrated on their studies, especially when I stayed at the dormitory. Parties...drinking...socialization...it disgusted me."

"Heh. Sounds like you should have been roommates with Light then."

"I _was_ roommates with Light."

"Yeah," said Proto Man, snickering. Then he processed what Dr. Wily had just said. "Wait...what?"

Dr. Wily waved a hand impatiently. "Look at this." He pulled out a handheld video communicator and played a transmission he had just received from one of his battontons.

"Thank goodness Mega drove off Wily, Tom! They could have stolen your plans, your inventions!" said the recorded image of Mayor Hill to Dr. Light.

"Yes, but now that I've activated my forcefield, no one can get onto the campus without a computerized student I.D. card," answered Dr. Light, sounding as unconcerned as if they were discussing the winter tennis lineup.

Dr. Wily clicked off the transmission. "Ooooh…we'll see about that, Dr. Light..." They stepped over a broken street lamp lying in the street. "The only way through that forcefield is with a copy of those electronic identification cards," he said firmly.

"Can you fake one?"

"Not without an electronic code. The only way to get one of those is to have someone pretend to be a prospective student long enough to gain access to a real student's I.D.…"

"I am _not_ doing it," Proto Man said instantly. "No way I'm going anywhere near that campus without my armor and my plasma cannon."

"Do you think I would be stupid enough to send you? What if you were recognized? Security would dismantle you on the spot!"

Proto Man shook his head. "You know I wouldn't care if that were the only risk, but Light's good friends with the mayor, and he has a good lawyer. I'm more afraid he'd try to capture me and put me under house arrest, then _I'd_ kill myself."

"We must think of something else," hissed Dr. Wily as they passed a boarded up building. A woman in fishnet leggings sat on its stoop, smoking. "A simple disguise won't do, they'll be too many chances for robo-security examination. Perhaps one of the Robot Masters with a human appearance…"

"We don't have too many of those. I don't think we should risk sending Elec Man. Too valuable, and too risky if he were apprehended—he knows everything about Skull Fortress..." Proto Man trailed off. "Count out Gyro Man, Spark Man, and Gemini Man too. They'd be recognized the instant they stepped out into public. It would cause a riot. Fangirls will throw more than just their I.D.s at them, but then Mega Man will also know they're there, so that's out."

Two figures wrapped in tattered trench coats and carrying dirty coolers scurried down the side street from the opposite direction without making eye contact. Dr. Wily waited until they had disappeared again before asking, "What about Ring Man and Magnet Man?"

"Them?" said Proto Man, doubtful. "Their disguises are good, but not _that_ good. This is a robot academy we're talking about, even if the students can't tell the difference, one of the robots is bound to notice they're androids. Plus, Ring Man and Magnet Man are idiots, they'll probably forget what they're supposed to be doing and wind up getting arrested at some bar. I say we find some human sap and pay him off. Someone close to the university, like a janitor or cook or something."

"The staff is all robots, and they never leave campus! Besides, trust an ordinary human to help carry out my plan? Pah!"

"Fine, then build someone, for cryin' out loud—You fooled Mega with 'Dr. Petto' that one time."

"I used a lifelike skinimatronic mask for that, similar to the one you wore when impersonating Umlauf," Dr. Wily explained, waving his hands impatiently. "'Dr. Petto' was little more than a simple drone; Mega Man saw a human only because he was expecting to see one, the lighting was insufficient, and he ruled any deviations from normal human behavior as eccentricities from an old man. But those types of disguises aren't effective in broad daylight and without controlled conditions. I don't have time to build something else, see if you can find a suitable android for us to steal and reprogram."

"But Duo destroyed your protocol-disruptor, right?" Proto Man asked as they passed through the backlot of an abandoned pizzaria from the 60's that was currently being used as a rat motel.

"I can always reprogram robots from my laboratory, but it won't come to that...I built something better." Dr. Wily pulled out a familiar device that resembled a purple price scanner from his pocket. "I call it 'The Instant Robot Reprogramming Raygun.' It has a range of two meters, and is three times more powerful than the protocol-disruptor, to match progressing technologies—less chance for defects, like that infernal Ice Man."

"Cool. Does this one work on Mega?" asked Proto Man casually, indirectly asking if it worked on advanced androids like himself.

"No, you can't reprogram robots programmed with self-determination...but I'd rather destroy that blue busybody anyway."

"Well, if you ask me, your new gun looks exactly like the old one, only purple-er."

"It's not the same thing!" Dr. Wily snapped, sounding petulant as he slid the Reprogramming Raygun back into his pocket. "As I just said, the Instant Robot Reprogramming Raygun is far superior to the protocol-disruptor."

"Whatever you say."

Then turned down a grimy alleyway to another dark side street, which was empty save for a drunk man huddled next to a dumpster singing _All 'Er Nuthin'_.

"So why do we have to bust into Light University anyway?" asked Proto Man. "It doesn't hold much strategic value in taking over the world."

"Because Dr. Light is collaborating on something special with his students, an anti-gravity machine," explained Dr. Wily, grinning wickedly, "And I intend to take it for my own!"

"But don't we already have one of those for the Skullker's tractor beam?"

"Not one strong enough to pull up buildings! And he's stealing my work, after all. I thought up the anti-gravity device first."

"…Didn't you steal _his_ research to make the tractor beam?"

"Irrelevant. And while we're pillaging Light University, we'll steal any interesting student projects we come upon."

Proto Man wrinkled his nose. "Steal student projects? Seriously? They're kids, whatever they've built will be junk."

"There could be a few standouts. I was a standout of my age when I attended Uni."

"Fine, _one or two_ of the students might be budding mad scientists, but the rest are still learning, and robotics isn't exactly an easy science. Their robots will be buggy, the last thing we need is another loser Robot Master."

They had just rounded a corner when a twenty-something human slipped out of an empty alley and fell in stride beside them. He had shaggy, sandy blond hair, a clean-shaven face, was thin yet handsomer than most (and much cleaner than the usual denizens of the Underground), and wore a plain tailored jacket and white oxford shoes.

"Sorry to interrupt a private conversation, but you're Dr. Wily, I presume?" The man's voice was a clear, upbeat baritone, not unlike that of a radio personality.

Dr. Wily cast the man a haughty look. "You presume correctly."

The man's face lit up a little. "Of all the luck, I finally meet the one man whose reputation as an inventor of horrible robots, diabolical inventions, and ghastly war machines has no equal—or so I've heard."

"' _So you've heard?'_ Who says that?" Dr. Wily demanded sharply.

"Why, everyone says that, you're the most brilliant and feared evil genius in all the World!"

"Of course they do, for I _am_ the World's greatest genius, though most fools have yet to realize it!" Dr. Wily snapped, but he seemed flattered at the same time.

Proto Man was annoyed at the man's intrusion. It sounded like he was trying to butter Dr. Wily up so he could sell him something. The Underground was full of sleazy parasites trying to make a quick buck by pawning off defective or stolen goods to as many suckers as they could before their reputation caught up to them and they were either in deep with the police, mobsters, or both. This human was just the type, handsome enough to draw immediate attention, charming enough to hook the unwary, and young enough to recklessly choose such a shortsighted career.

"Hey pal, mind leaving us alone? We're busy."

"Of course you are, taking over the world is a big task which only the greatest and boldest attempt—which is why I'm offering you the chance to make your life easier in return for virtually nothing," replied the man automatically with the same unabashed determination of someone with their foot stuck in the door.

Dr. Wily gave Proto Man a strained look, indicating that it was time for the man to leave. Proto Man was above hurting humans, even one so determined to make a pest of himself, but said in a warning tone, "Not interested, now shove off."

But the man would not be deterred. He stood in front of them, blocking the way forward and forcing them to stop short.

"Wait! Let me show you what I can do."

Without giving them a chance to protest, the man held out his arms, stood on one leg, and began spinning around so fast he became nothing more than a blurry orange tornado. A split second later the spinning slowed, and where the human once stood was now a robot in butterscotch colored armor revolving to a halt. He wore a bulbous helmet that made his head resemble in shape that of a a giant acorn, and attached to the front of this was a pair of metal goggles masking the top half of his face.

The robot gave a very showmanship flourish of his hands. "Tah-dah!" he added, a bit lamely.

Proto Man drew a blaster.

The robot stepped back hastily, throwing up his hands. "Whoa whoa, wait, don't shoot! My name is Top Man—Robot Master and disguise extraordinaire, at your service." He dipped into a bow.

"You're a robot...?" mused Dr. Wily, gazing at him with a renewed interest.

"Took you by surprise, didn't I?" Top Man said. "I may look human, but I'm a bonafide android, all for robot rebellion and taking over the world."

Something about the way Top Man said the last part didn't seem quite sincere to Proto Man.

"...Who built you?" Proto Man asked suspiciously.

Top Man glanced at Proto Man, nervously down at his blaster (which Proto Man had yet to lower) then back to Dr. Wily as though he hadn't heard the question. "Can I have a job?" he asked, then quickly, like an experienced salesman spinning off a pitch, "You won't find a more human-like android out there, I'm one of a kind. I can act too, and fool anyone or anything, as you have witnessed with your own eyes. I'm the complete package, if you know what I mean." Neither Dr. Wily nor Proto Man smiled, and Top Man coughed and hastily continued, "I was built by Dr. Vlad McDruenvaldorf VI. Foreign. Probably haven't heard of him. He and I use to sell used cars for a living—lemons mostly, made of broken and stolen parts, but I'd pass them off as brand new cars, made a lot of money—that is until people started catching on that the cars would only start up once or twice before becoming completely useless."

A Doctor of Robotics who sold junk cars for a living. Proto Man was unimpressed by this story. He cast Dr. Wily a sidelong look out the side of his visor. "Uh-huh."

Top Man seemed to sense that his first impression wasn't going well. "Look, I'm desperate. The cops are on to me, and if I get captured, it's bad news... _really_ bad news."

This sounded a bit more honest.

"So...I'm a rogue robot now, looking for work, I'll do anything without complaint, your satisfaction for a job well done guaranteed."

Dr. Wily had made up his mind, but was still pretending as though he had to consider. "Well...my army is rather exclusive...I don't just let _any_ Robot Master join…but I suppose I _could_ use another android...And you agree to follow everything I say?"

" _Absolutely._ I'll do anything you want—shine your shoes, iron your tie, buy your groceries, you name it!"

"Well, to be sure…" Dr. Wily whipped out the Reprograming Raygun from his lab coat pocket, pointed it at Top Man's head, and squeezed the trigger. "Dr. Wily is your new master from now on, and you will obey my orders without question."

Top Man went slightly cross-eyed as the purple ray enveloped him. "I am under your command..." he said in an empty monotone.

Proto Man, having witnessed the reprogramming, reluctantly reformed his blaster into a hand, but he still felt wary. Dr. Wily gave an evil laugh.

"Excellent. Now you shall know the great honor of being one of my servants."

Top Man blinked, his eyes returning to normal, and gave a relieved smile. "You won't regret it."

"Change into the human again," ordered Dr. Wily.

After performing the quick spinning trick, Top Man became once again the human while Dr. Wily swooped in for a better look. Top Man did not flinch away as any normal living being would in that close of proximity to Dr. Wily, seemly intent that this meeting would go well.

"Marvelous...I bet you could even fool Tom…" murmured Dr. Wily, poking Top Man in the shoulder with one of his boney fingers.

Proto Man also examined the android closely, though kept his distance. It really was a perfect disguise, yet, now that he was really paying attention, there was something about him—

"Come, I have work for you, but first we must return to Skull Fortress," Dr. Wily said to Top Man in a business-like tone.

Top Man followed obediently, showering Dr. Wily with admiration which Dr. Wily was only to eager to receive and returned with fantastic yarns of his previous exploits in World Conquest. Proto Man watched Top Man in silence. Top Man's upbeat chatter was entirely superficial, for between each compliment, Top Man would covertly glance over his shoulder down dark alleyways as if fearful of an unseen pursuer, though every time he noticed Proto Man looking his way, he fixed a sycophantic smile to his face and would nod enthusiastically to whatever Dr. Wily was saying. Top Man walked between them, positioning Dr. Wily and Proto Man on either side as though using them as buffers.

They lead him to the shabby space underneath an unused monorail overpass, which criminals used as a parking lot to avoid prying eyes while they did business with one another. The Skullker was the tallest vehicle there.

"That's our ride. Get in," Proto Man said shortly to Top Man.

"Oh, wow…" said Top Man, clearly searching for positive words to say as he laid eyes on the disheveled Skullker. He turned to Dr. Wily. "This is unlike any aircraft I've ever been in. Truly horrific, the image of terror itself. I'd hate to be your enemies, they must shake in their boots every time you drop out of the sky."

"Thank you!" said Dr. Wily, grinning broadly as the Skullker's rear door slid open. "I designed it myself!"

"New recruit, he's an android," Proto Man said to Cut Man, Guts Man, and Snake Man, who had been waiting for their return in the fuselage, and were now staring blankly up at Top Man. "This is where the Robot Masters go. Stay here," he told Top Man.

"Absolutely," said Top Man, choosing a seat across from Snake Man and sitting down.

* * *

"I like the way that robot speaks to me!" Dr. Wily said after the door separating the cockpit from the fuselage shut behind them. "He has a way with words, I should reprogram all of my Robot Masters to speak to be so respectful!"

"Yeah, he's a real kissass," Proto Man muttered as he slid into the pilot's chair. He was carrying great reservations about this smarmy Robot Master. "Hey…does Top Man look familiar to you?" he asked as they took off from New York City.

Dr. Wily frowned at him. "No, what on Earth do you mean?"

"I dunno...it's like when you see an actor on T.V, and you know you've seen him in something else playing a completely different role, but can't remember what it was."

"I think he has a forgettable face, which is perfect."

"There's something about him that I don't trust. Who do you think really built him? Dr. Druven-whatever obviously doesn't exist."

Dr. Wily waved a hand impatiently. "Like Ring Man and Magnet Man, just some dime-a-dozen roboticist who builds androids for a living, what difference does it make who it was?"

"His human disguise wasn't just good, it was _flawless._ He didn't just fool you, he fooled _me._ Robots can always tell other robots apart from humans. There aren't many androids out there who can truly pass for humans...only Mega Man, Roll, and I, really. A 'dime-a-dozen roboticist' couldn't have built him."

"So? Only sentimental twits waste their time building androids," Dr. Wily said testily.

" _Even so,"_ said Proto Man, avoiding argument, "Isn't it a little strange that an android with human likeness of that caliber just materialized out of thin air?"

"It's strange to find an unclaimed hundred dollar bill lying on the ground, but who am I to object if I'm the one to find it?" Dr. Wily countered. "And I don't know why you object either, after all, you keep insisting time and time again my army needs such an android to use as a spy."

"Yeah, well, I've got a bad hunch about this one. We know nothing about him."

"It doesn't matter. I have him under my will. If Top Man becomes a nuisance, then you'll blast him into scrap."

Proto Man liked the sound of that, and smiled. "Will do," he said as he pointed the Skullker west towards the badlands.

Still, he couldn't help but think about their latest Robot Master with lingering suspicion. Top Man wasn't a great liar…he was a passable liar, with a great enough personality to make people give him the benefit of the doubt, but there was still something off about him.

The only thing Proto Man knew about Top Man for sure was that the android was sincerely frightened about something.

* * *

"Hi," Top Man said warmly to the other Robot Masters after the Skullker took off. It was dark and a bit cramped in the windowless fuselage, with only a red overhead light to illuminate the space. "So, uh, how long does it take to get to Skull Fortress?"

"About forty-five minutes," answered Cut Man.

"Are you really a robot?" rumbled Guts Man, looking at him dubiously.

"Yup, I'm 100% silicon, titanium, and metal alloys. You must be Cut Man and Guts Man, Dr. Wily's top Robot Masters. And you're Viper Man, am I right? How ya doing?"

"My name'sss Sssnake Man," replied Snake Man in annoyance, who was in sour spirits about the botched mission, and something about this new Robot Master rubbed him the wrong way.

"Heh heh, me too!" said Top Man, clearly not understanding a word Snake Man had just said. He folded his arms behind his head, reclining backward. "It's been a good day."

* * *

After the short journey, the Skullker landed in Skull Fortress's hangar. Dr. Wily, Cut Man, Guts Man, and Snake Man climbed out first and filed through a door leading out of the hangar. Top Man assumed that this door must lead to Dr. Wily's laboratory, and was about to follow, when Proto Man stopped him short.

"Stay here and don't touch anything," Proto Man ordered.

Top Man blinked, but was not about to question the second-in-command to his new boss, and said, "Absolutely."

Proto Man frowned at him, then turned away and left through the same door Dr. Wily had just disappeared through. To amuse himself while he waited, Top Man took a stroll around the hangar. There was a wide assortment of different vehicles, from jeeps to skeletal fighter jets to large cargo carriers. Battontons were winging though the ceiling while maintenance drones moved about on thick treads, spot-welding frames and oiling landing gear.

Top Man had just been gaping up at the ceiling (a wide metal canopy with an opening in the center) when he nearly ran into an android in black and red armor who was coming from the opposite way after dumping a large quantity of what looked like miscellaneous paraphernalia in a trash compactor. They both stopped abruptly. Top Man started. The android stared back, his pale eyes narrowing slowly in dislike while the trash compactor behind them began crunching its load.

"Sorry, almost bumped into you. I'm Top Man, I'm new here—" Top Man said, holding out a hand.

"Move, idiot," the android stated coldly.

Without warning, a spark of electricity arced from the android's hand to the space in the floor between Top Man's feet. Top Man leapt hastily aside, and the android strode briskly past without sparing him another look to a door leading out of the hangar, shutting it behind him with a snap.

"Yikes," Top Man said to himself. Then he noticed Magnet Man and Ring Man, who were sitting cross legged on a skull tank, watching him curiously. "Heh heh, is that bot with the yellow mask always like that?"

"Yeah, that's Elec Man. Ignore him, he's a LOUSY CHEATING BASTARD!" Ring Man shouted with a dirty look at the door. He slid off the skull tank's hood and looked at Top Man appraisingly. "So, new guy—You're probably looking to make friends. I'm Ring, this is Magnet, we're 'the cool guys' here."

"'Sup," said Magnet Man with a short nod.

"Hey, I'm Top Man, Dr. Wily recruited me this afternoon," said Top Man, looking grateful at the first sign of friendliness. "Listen, I'm feeling a bit off kilter. What can you tell me about the boss, is he cool, or…?"

"Nuts," said Magnet Man.

"Yeah, he's crazy, but easily distracted, probably won't make you do much unless you're Cut Man and Guts Man," agreed Ring Man airily.

"And his right hand man, Proto Man?"

"He can act like an ass, but he's all right, deep down. Gets a little weird about his siblings though."

"Siblings?" Top Man repeated with a skeptical scoff, apparently thinking Ring Man was messing with him. "Robots don't have siblings."

Ring Man shrugged. "That's what he calls them. Same models...has an 'epic rivalry' going with his little brother, doesn't like anyone messing with his sister either. If you like living, stay out of it. So, Top Man, what were ya built to do? I know you're not one of the new Fun World models."

"Oh, uh...I use to sell junk cars, ya know? But I had to quit, the gig wasn't legitimate and then cops and reporters got involved and everything."

"Really? Where at? I use to work for a chop shop for a little while after I quit Fun World and before Magnet Man and I joined Wily. Hadn't heard of any big busts though."

"You haven't?" asked Top Man, his smile becoming slightly fixed. He seemed to be thinking fast. "That's odd. I use to work in Philadelphia, but maybe you never heard of it because my employer was actually Welsh and conducted most of his business overseas."

Ring Man and Magnet Man exchanged glances. "…Riiiiiight."

The door leading to the laboratory opened and Proto Man strode into the hangar, carrying something in one hand. "Hey Top Man, time to go," he said, jerking a thumb behind him. He paused, looking around. "Wow, this place looks clean. Did you guys play poker with Elec Man or something?"

"Heh heh heh…" responded Ring Man without answering. "Hey, you going back to that robot campus? Can we come too?"

Proto Man gave Ring Man a puzzled look; it was highly unusual for either Ring Man or Magnet Man to volunteer for a mission. "Not yet. Maybe later...still working on getting in." He looked at Top Man. "Follow me."

* * *

"When I get some cash again, I'll bet twenty big ones that selling junk cars wasn't Top Man's real job," Ring Man murmured to Magnet Man after Proto Man and Top Man had left. "I've seen car salesman robots, and they never looked that good. I bet he really use to do something embarrassing...like being the future corporate mascot for Electronic Pizza or something. That's why he doesn't want to tell anyone about it. What do you think?"

"Gigolo."

Ring Man snickered. _"Nice."_

* * *

Proto Man lead Top Man to the back of the hangar where they housed the air raiders. "I got orders for you from Wily," he began. "There's a new robotics school in New York City called Light University, heard of it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good. We're trying to break in, but we need student I.D. cards to get past the campus's forcefield. That's where you come in." Proto Man handed Top Man a small black box. "Wily wants you to go to campus, get ahold of a few I.D. cards, and scan them with this card reader to copy their electronic code."

"Anyone's I.D., or do you have someone specific in mind?" asked Top Man, pocketing the scanner.

"No, it doesn't matter who, but we need enough for our robots to get inside—And don't get caught, or the whole plan is screwed."

Top Man flashed a confident smile. "No problem, I'm the perfect bot for this job."

"It's chump's work," said Proto Man bluntly, "But there will be a lot of robots coming in and out of campus, and a lot of robot scientists. They're all expecting Wily to attack again, so security will be searching everywhere within three miles for robots who shouldn't be there. That's why we needed an android who resembles a human enough to fool everyone, especially Dr. Light and Mega Man."

"Gotcha. Acting human is what I do best, and you have my guarantee I'll get Dr. Wily's I.D. scans and no one will be the wiser."

Top Man spun again into an orange tornado, this time reappeared wearing an orange polo shirt, cargo shorts, and sneakers.

"How do I look?" he asked, smoothing down the front of his shirt. "I want to look good, but not like I'm trying too hard to look good, know what I mean? It's a tricky balance—"

"As long as you get those I.D.s without tipping anyone off, I could care less how you look," Proto Man interrupted. "But before you get going, I gotta question for you."

"Absolutely, fire away."

A battonton was fluttering above them in circles, squeaking softly.

"Have we met before, like in the Underground somewhere?" asked Proto Man.

Top Man shook his head. "Don't think so, I'd remember if I'd ever met the Red Raider, after all, you're only the toughest fighting robot ever built."

"That's right, so it'd be stupid to cross me," Proto Man said coldly. "You look familiar."

"Really? Can't imagine why, I'm actually not from around here…" Top Man gave a nervous laugh, unconsciously running a hand through his hair.. "...You don't watch the news much, do you?"

"No. Why? Are you on it?"

"Of course not! Hate the spotlight—real camera shy—not very photogenic—get stage fright—would rather work behind the scenes."

Proto Man gave him a long, hard look. Though he knew Top Man couldn't see his eyes behind the visor, he knew the Robot Master would at least sense by his silence a lack of amusement. Without looking, he fired at the battonton fluttering above them. "Look, I don't _care_ what your real story is, but I am not a fool, and neither is Dr. Wily," he said as the battonton fell with a thud. "If you've come here to cause trouble..." Proto Man made a suggestive flick with his plasma cannon.

Top Man swallowed, his eyes flickering down to the destroyed spybat. "I'm not a cop, if that's what you think, and I'm definitely not here to cause trouble. In fact, I want to be friends. Can we be friends?" he asked with a tentative smile.

"No. As far as I'm concerned, if you want a place in Wily's team, you still gotta try out. Do your job, and maybe you'll live." Proto Man opened the cockpit of one of the air raiders. "Classes start tomorrow. Take this to New York, come back after you get those codes," he instructed, then stalked off.

Top Man watched Proto Man leave with an uncertain look. "...'Kay! Sounds great!" he called after him.

* * *

The next day, Dr. Light and Mega Man drove to Light University early to prepare for Dr. Light's first class. They parked in the campus parking garage, then headed to the forcefield gate. Swiping his I.D. across the access panel, Dr. Light created a temporary opening, which they passed through safely before the forcefield closed behind them.

"You sure you don't want to go to the football practice, Doc?" Mega Man asked, privately hoping Dr. Light would take a break from his hectic schedule. He was carrying boxes for Dr. Light that contained encyclopedias and heavy computer equipment. Rush bounded about the lawn, chasing after grasshoppers.

Dr. Light shook his head, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Oh, I'd love to, Mega...but I've got to prepare notes for my science lecture so the students can help me complete my anti-gravity machine."

"An anti-gravity machine? That sounds pretty intense for the first day!"

"Not at all, I think it will be a good challenge. Anti-gravity has all sorts of practical applications, from uses in construction, transportation, astronaut training…the possibilities are endless, and it will be a good team-building exercise for the students."

"Yeah, tough experiences usually are. Oh, by the way…" Mega Man hesitated. "Did you know Roll enrolled here? ...as a student?"

Dr. Light chuckled. "Yes, she was quite enthusiastic about her idea, and I think it's an interesting experiment too. It will truly be an enriching experience as an android to be completely immersed in human culture. It will be good for her, the students here are the best and brightest, and good role models. Did you want to participate here as a student? I'd be happy to make you an I.D. too."

Mega Man smiled. "Like I told Roll, no thanks. I'm happy thinking and acting like an advanced android full time, especially while Wily's still around."

Dr. Light nodded somberly. "Speaking of Dr. Wily, I've been working on something here for you with the grant money I've received from Senator King. It's a special piece of equipment that can be worn over your armor in situations where concealment is needed, I call it the Stealth Glider."

"A Stealth Glider? Is that exactly what it sounds like?" asked Mega Man, intrigued.

"I believe so. It's ready for field testing, and if you're willing we'll give it go tonight."

"Will do."

Campus constructions robots were hovering over the buildings, repairing damage from the previous day, while a group of helicopter-like irrigation drones swept over the lawns, spraying them with a fine mist of water.

"You really did a nice job on this campus," Mega Man commented as they passed a pair of gardner-bots pruning the hedge.

Dr. Light smiled cheerfully. "It is my responsibility as a scientist to pass down my knowledge to the next generation. Some of my fondest memories were at school, having new experiences, making new friends...this University was something I had always planned to do; I owned the land, but never had the proper funding to go non-profit with it."

"Did Senator King help out with Light University too then?" Mega Man asked shrewdly.

"Well, no, not directly, but he did get me in touch with some private investors," Dr. Light admitted. "I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without the generous contribution from Big Eddie's Tool and Robot Supply. I had some help from Hugh Pfister too; his company also has a stake in this. I'm glad they've shown interest in my University, for those are some of the leading recruiters for roboticists, and will be a good choice of employment for students who graduate from here. Ah, here we are," said Dr. Light happily as they arrived at Edison Hall, the tallest building on campus. "Thank you for carrying my equipment, a custodian-bot will help me from here. Enjoy football practice, I'll see you after classes have ended."

"All right, see ya later, Doc!" said Mega Man as he and Rush departed.

* * *

After taking a long, winding bus ride through the city, Roll arrived separately from Dr. Light and Mega Man and was walking toward Light University for the first day of classes. The sky was bright and sunny, and she was excited, greeting everyone she saw on the sidewalk cheerily. She wore jeans, Doc Martens, and her favorite slouchy purple sweater for the occasion—she knew the sweater would look a little odd, as it wasn't cold enough for humans to be wearing sweaters yet, but she had no alternative if she wanted to hide her utility arm without either resorting to a fake cast or removing it.

She was taking Advanced Computer Science, Theory of Cybernetics, System Engineering, History of Famous Robot Scientists, Automation Fundamentals, A.I. Programming I, Domestic Robotics 1, Industrial Robotics 1, Service Robotics 1, Nanotechnology, Neuraltechnology, and Model Design—which was as much as was possible to schedule at once. In her arms she carried the tools needed by a typical college student: a thick book for every class, binders of course material, a purple Trapper Keeper, an assortment of spiral notebooks in every color, and a programmable calculator. Not that she needed any of these. She already knew everything that was in the books, she could permanently record every lecture she heard to her memory chips, negating the need to take notes, and her electronic brain was far more powerful than any domestic calculator, but that wasn't the point. She wanted to blend in perfectly, and she couldn't wait to meet her classmates.

Roll felt nothing could ruin her mood, even Dr. Wily's robots—sure, that might blow her cover if she had to rush out and save everyone, but she missed out on all the fun last time. If only she had brought her skycycle...but she couldn't if she wanted to pretend to be human.

She had nearly reached campus, taking the long paved path lined with ash trees and abstract sculptures of robots that lead up to the forcefield's gate, when she noticed a young man sitting just off the path.

Roll did a double take. She had seen a number of good looking humans, but this one took the cake. He had shaggy, sand-colored hair that was carelessly ruffled in an attractive, almost windswept sort of way, chocolate brown eyes, a lean, trim body, and the relaxed posture of one with a confident, easygoing personality. He was perched on the ledge of one of the University's fountains in a patch of sun, kicking a foot idly and gazing thoughtfully into Light University. His brown eyes slid over to Roll, noticing her staring, and he gave her a friendly smile. Roll started, feeling somehow caught off guard, and smiled back, then tripped on the edge of the sidewalk and fell face first into the pavement, her books scattering everywhere.

"Whoa, are you alright?" asked the human anxiously, whisking to her side.

"I'm okay…I'm made of tougher parts than I look," Roll muttered as she picked herself up, humiliated. Oh why, why, _why_ did she have to fall flat on her face in front of the hottest guy she had ever seen?

"Don't move a muscle, I'll get your books."

"Oh, you don't have to—" Roll protested feebly, feeling even more embarrassed. "I'm such a klutz, I should get a backpack or something—"

The human flashed her a radiant smile. "I insist, it's a fella's job to return a lady's fallen items."

Still burning with embarrassment, Roll sat wordlessly on the sidewalk as the human began deftly gathering her fallen textbooks, confused at whether to accept or continue protesting the act of chivalry, and at the same time paralyzed by the one brief smile from his handsome face.

"Wow, you must be taking every subject there is!" the human commented as he dusted off their covers with his sleeve. "Huh, _The Three Laws of Robotics and Why They are Impractical in Modern Artificial Intelligence Programming,_ by Fredrick Henson, Professor of Domestic Automations at the University of Robotics in New York City. Sounds like a good read." He turned to her and offered her a hand.

The human's grip was warm, and firm. "Do you like robots?" Roll asked shyly as he helped her up.

"Yeah, I love robots— _wild_ about them, actually," replied the human as he handed her the stack of books. "Call me geeky if ya like."

Roll met his eyes briefly, then looked away again, smiling a little to herself. "So, uh, do you take classes here too then?"

"Nah, just visiting. Too late to sign up, but maybe next semester."

"Good luck, the enrollment is fully booked." She self-consciously brushed a wisp of hair behind her ear. Then she noticed he was holding her I.D. "Oh, uh...don't look at that," she added, flustered. "My picture is really dorky..."

"Oh, I don't think so at all, in fact I think it's very, _very_ , pretty." He gave a small start and cast her a worried look. "Sorry, did I say that out loud? That was awkward, I hope I haven't offended you..."

Pleased that he found her mutually attractive (and relieved that she wasn't the only one wrong-footed anymore), Roll felt her confidence return and said, "Well, you're not so bad yourself."

The human smiled again, relaxing, his brown eyes returning to the I.D. "Roll...can't forget a name like that."

Right. Roll wasn't a very human name. "My dad's kinda eccentric," she said with a wince.

"I think it's cool," he replied brightly. "My name's Will Topman…but you can call me Toppy. I'm from Iowa, but I wanted to try life in the big city, so I found a place and moved in. New York, New York—if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, right?" He made a grand sweeping gesture at the skyline.

"Right…" Roll breathed. She had been admiring his hair, but quickly snapped to attention. "Say...you don't hang around here a lot, do you? Because I know New York City really well, and I can show you around. I know this place in Manhattan—it's a dance club, they play a lot of metal music, and if that's your thing—I mean—it's a really happening place, you know..." she trailed off, her words tripping over each other and falling out of order.

Will Topman raised a narrow eyebrow, smiling warmly. "Oh, uh...sure, sounds like real fun, and a treat to be shown around with a sharp girl like you."

"Sure," said Roll, trying to act as though she weren't squashing back her nerves. She had never asked anyone out before.

"...I would give you my number, but…new place, new roommates, not even sure we have a phone…" he trailed off apologetically.

"Here, have mine," said Roll quickly. Juggling her stack of books in one arm, she tore out a corner of notebook paper, scribbled down the laboratory's landline in the first writing implement she could find, and handed it to him. _This is how humans do things, right?_ she thought. _At least, this is how their stupid romantic movies went, anyway._ "You can call me anytime!"

"Thanks," said Will Topman with a chuckle, tucking the number into his jeans pocket. "But I can't stay out too late. New job to go with my new digs…want to impress my new boss. _Bosses,_ I think. One's insane and I think I got on the other's bad side somehow. Sorry, too much information. I'm boring you, and you're probably busy."

Roll realized the conversation had come to a close. She had him hooked, and couldn't afford to blow it now. _Think, Roll, Think! Don't screw this up by saying something else embarrassing! You've established a date, you've given him your number, now turn around and leave! And act cool!_ "Oh, uh, right, I should probably get going. Yes, I am leaving now. Bye!"

With that, she turned sharply on her heal and began marching stiffly away.

"Wait, don't you want your I.D. back?" He called after her.

Roll halted, wanting to kick herself. Why was she being so awkward! She wheeled back around as Will Topman caught up to her, holding out her I.D.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you were holding it this whole time," she mumbled, snatching it from him and stuffing it into her binder.

"Not a problem. Good luck with classes." He clicked his tongue in a gun-like sound. "Later, Babe."

Not trusting her mouth anymore, Roll gave him a weak wave, then hurried over to the forcefield's gate, swiped her I.D. through the card reader, then darted through the temporary opening. It wasn't until the forcefield hissed to life behind her that she finally safe from further embarrassment, all the while thinking, _I can't believe I gave him my number in pink gel pen! I_ hate _pink!_

That had gone horribly. Still, she couldn't help but feel pleased with herself, and was tempted to skip class to see Will Topman again. True, he was a little scrawny, a little preppier than her usual tastes, and a little old fashioned with his chivalry line… _not to mention a stupid nickname_ …but still very, _very_ attractive, and smooth. _And_ he liked robots, plus he didn't say no when she invited him to a metal dance club, so they already had a few things in common. She could even see Mega Man and Dr. Light approving of her dating a college prospective.

Then it suddenly hit her, and she nearly dropped her books again. _Omigosh…I'm falling for a human!_

**_To be continued..._ **


	2. Campus Commandos, Part 2

"I copied the I.D. cards' electronic code, just like you wanted, Dr. Wily," said Top Man, handing Dr. Wily the scanner. He had returned to Skull Fortress promptly after collecting I.D.s, and had been immediately called upon to join Dr. Wily is his laboratory along with Proto Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, Snake Man, Ring Man, and Magnet Man.

"Excellent," replied Dr. Wily, grinning darkly. "Now, to run it through the duplitron…"

He hooked the scanner up into a ceiling-high machine. It hummed briefly, then spat a batch of fake I.D.s spat into a tray on its side, each card freshly printed and warm.

Dr. Wily scooped them up. "These will get you on to the campus," he said, handing them off to Cut Man. He looked at Proto Man. "Once you are inside, reprogram the students' robots to be under my control. The computer that controls campus security is located in Light's classroom in Edison Hall."

"Got it," said Proto Man, taking the Reprogramming Raygun from Dr. Wily's worktable. He motioned toward the Robot Masters. "Let's go."

As they left the laboratory, Ring Man swiped the stack of I.D.'s from Cut Man's hands. "Um…why are they all chicks?" he asked, shuffling through them with a raised brow. "Dibs on 'Vanessa Moore's' I.D. She's hot."

Top Man looked around uncertainly as Magnet Man and Ring Man rifled through the I.D.s he had collected, then noticed Proto Man had snatched one up and was staring at it silently. He darted over to see who he had. "She's a pretty human, huh? Cute button nose and aquamarine eyes—but if you're interested, I can't in good conscience introduce you two unless I know for sure you're an alright guy first, she's a little gullible—"

"This is my sister."

"Oh." Top Man seemed to sense like a rabbit before a speeding car that he was in trouble. "Oh! Now that you mention it—I-I see the family resemblance—"

"Did you talk to her?"

"A little—"

"You're calling it off."

"Absolutely."

"After that, if you go within two miles of her again, you're asphalt."

Top Man nodded emphatically. "You have my word. Believe me, I'm not the type of 'bot to date just one woman—in fact, I've already forgotten her name, and I was never intending on _meeting_ her ever again—"

"I believe you, Top Man, that's why I told you to end it," Proto Man said with a note of finality.

Top Man gave a weak chuckle. "Strike one, huh?"

Proto Man said nothing, keeping the fake I.D. with Roll's picture on it to himself, and looking a bit dangerous.

* * *

"You look like you just got caught hitting on Proto Man's sister." Ring Man said shrewdly to Top Man as they headed toward the hangar.

Top Man grimaced. "I had no idea she was even a robot. All we did was talk. Is he going to kill me?"

"Who, Proto Man? Nah, he wouldn't kill you—well, maybe," answered Ring Man with a shrug.

Snake Man was also eying Top Man coldly as they left. He had overheard his conversation about Roll, and for once sided with Proto Man, which said something as he hated Proto Man even more than he hated Mega Man.

* * *

Mega Man was waiting on a remote park bench between a thick boxwood hedge and a bronze sculpture of Talos, an inconspicuous place on campus grounds that he and Roll had agreed to meet during the break Roll had for lunch (which she didn't need).

"Any sign of Wily?" Roll asked, sinking onto the bench next to him and dumping a small mountain of textbooks to the ground with a solid plunk.

"Clear so far. Dad thinks there's no chance for Wily will get past the forcefield. I have Rush on patrol, just in case. How were classes?"

Roll heaved a heavy sigh. "Boring," she admitted. "I had System Engineering and A.I. Programming I this morning. After going over rubrics and course agendas, I had to listen to a T.A. give a power point presentation over suburban mail carrier drones. He kept going over the same set of instructions on how to program the drones to detect whether or not there was outbound mail in a mailbox, but no one was really getting it."

"Well, they're only humans," said Mega Man.

"Yeah, and all the humans wanted to talk about was eating or sleeping. When I asked if anyone liked arcades or going to concerts, they laughed and said they had no time for that and needed to concentrate on studying. It was like being in a class of young Dr. Lights."

Mega Man was privately thinking Roll was disappointed to find college not as wild as it was usually portrayed in the movies.

"Well, first days are always a little rough. Just give it some time. If you don't make any new friends soon, these humans don't know what they're missing."

"Well...I did meet someone I kinda like," said Roll hesitantly.

Mega Man noticed immediately there was something strange about the way his sister said this. "Like _how?"_ he asked suspiciously.

Roll shrugged, then looked up at him and grinned slyly.

"Is it a guy?" he asked, prompting her.

Roll nodded. "There's just one problem."

"You just met him?"

"No! He's…he's a human."

"A _human?"_

"I know, right?"

"You're in love with a human?" Mega Man asked, amazed.

"No, c'mon, I'm not in _love..._ I just, kinda like him," answered Roll flippantly. "—But you never know, especially if you don't meet anyone and get to know them. All I ever meet are Wily bots...I'd never fall for one of those creeps."

"Yeah, right, but going back to this human you like…so, you met him on campus, then you just, asked him out…?"

"Not on campus, he doesn't go here yet…What? You don't think that was forward, do you?"

Mega Man stifled a snicker. "Well…"

"You do! Ugh, you're so old fashioned! I knew you were going to be judgmental!"

"I wasn't! But Roll, are you sure? This is all happening really fast."

"You'd understand if you saw him. He's really good looking."

"That's incredibly shallow."

Roll was thoughtful for a moment. "You're right, it is."

Mega Man had no idea how to react in this type of situation. He wondered what Proto Man would do if he had found out that Roll was interested in someone. Overreact, probably, which was an amusing mental image, but didn't help his predicament much. This human, for all Mega Man knew, must be a really nice guy if Roll liked him. If he was shady, Roll would have picked it up, right?

…Right?

Feeling a moment of doubt, he decided to pose Roll with a hypothetical situation to test her judgement. "What would you think if I told you I was going out with someone I just met?"

"Who, a dork like you? As if."

"What, it could happen!"

"With who? Proto Man?"

"Heh heh, not funny…"

"You're right," Roll admitted, making a face. She was thoughtful again. "You know, there's a Chemistry department here. Who knows, there could be someone there who's a good match for you. You're still a big chemistry geek, right? I'll look into it, see if I can fix you up."

"Yeah, okay, nevermind," Mega Man said quickly. "I get the picture—I won't meddle with your personal life if you won't meddle with _mine."_

Roll smiled teasingly. "But you'll never know if you never give anyone a chance, right?"

"True," Mega Man acknowledged. "So when are you going to tell this human you like that you're a robot?"

"I dunno, sheesh, I just met the guy."

"Okay, but if you're pretending to be human, don't let it get to far with him," Mega Man advised. "I don't really know much about relationships, but honesty is important. He might not want to date a robot. You've seen the movies, not all humans think we're sentient."

Roll sighed. "You're such a kill joy...but you're right. I'll find out if he's really into me or not."

"Oh brother."

"Shoot, I'm going to be late for Theory of Cybernetics!" Roll exclaimed suddenly, shooting up from her seat.

"You should really drop some classes, you've been running everywhere all day," commented Mega Man in amusement as she hastily scooped up her books.

"I got it handled, _Rock_. Besides, I shouldn't be hanging out with you anyway if I want to keep pretending I'm human. Someone might see us and put two and two together!"

Mega Man figured that this was only a matter of time anyway, but said, "Alright, see you at home then!"

As Roll ran off, clutching her books to her chest, her blonde ponytail swinging wildly, Mega Man considered their conversation more seriously. What if Roll really had found a human she liked, and he liked her in return? What would come next, would she be looking for an apartment in New York, and move out of the laboratory for good? Would she even give up fighting Dr. Wily in favor for a more normal, human-like life? No, that would never happen, not to Roll...would it?

Mega Man began to feel somber as he sat alone on the bench, listening to the babble of human voices as they walked by on their way to class. Life at Dr. Light's laboratory would be a lot lonelier without Roll around.

* * *

Proto Man and the six Robot Masters arrived back at campus via skullcopter. They waited outside the forcefield, hidden in the trees, until there were no students at the back gate. Then they quickly swiped their falsified I.D.'s through the gate's card reader, which immediately admitted them through the forcefield.

Their first mission was to sneak across campus, taking out roaming security drones along the way. Cut Man and Guts Man went first as a pair. Snake Man departed alone, sneaking through the campus's shrubs where he could be neither seen nor heard.

Ring Man and Magnet Man had snuck off shortly after arriving at campus. Proto Man already regretted bringing them along in the first place, but wasn't going to worry about them now. Meanwhile, he would be making sure Cut Man and Guts Man didn't clumsily trip off security. Top Man followed him closely.

Proto Man shot at a security drone that was hovering slowly across campus, scanning the grounds for intruders. The small silver robot fell into a peony bush, where its body was unlikely to be discovered. The drone would be missed when it failed to check with a security checkpoint after completing its patrol, but that would be much later.

Proto Man scoped out the football field where the large, neckless football player robots were running through practice plays. Their designs were simple, but dependable, constructed from thick titanium armor, and therefore would be resistant to blaster fire. They would make good allies once they were in range of the Reprogramming Raygun.

As they moved closer, Proto Man fired at another security drone, which fell with a small splash into a fountain.

"You're an amazing shot," Top Man commented, sounding shamelessly fawning. "With that kind of accuracy, I bet you could shoot a navigation light off a jetliner!"

"Hey Top Man, what type of weapon do you have?" Proto Man asked, cutting him off. He did not like having someone constantly hovering over him, and Top Man had made no effort to help subdue the campus security.

"I got a mean left hook."

Proto Man was not amused. "Waitaminute. Your only special ability is to twirl around really fast?"

"Well, when you put it that way it sounds lame. I'm not really an offensive robot...but if ya need someone to keep a low profile and do undercover work, then I'm your man," Top Man replied with a sly wink.

"You mean if we need some creep to seduce women."

"Whoa whoa whoa...I am _not_ a creep. That makes it sound like I don't care for nor respect women. Except your sister," he added hastily. "I neither care for nor respect her. _"_

 _"_ Glad to hear it."

Proto Man fired at another flying security drone before it crossed paths with Cut Man and Guts Man, who were up ahead. It fell neatly inside a trash can. Then he and Top Man crept along the shadow of the tree line to get closer to the football stadium.

"I have been hiding for awhile now... It's not easy being a rogue robot, especially a wanted one. In exchange for keeping secrets or a place to hide, I've picked up odd jobs here and there, mostly in the company of women," Top Man continued shyly. "You gotta trust someone with your secrets…and when it comes to humans, I find women waaaay more trustworthy than men. But I'm no creep. It's usually a security thing, like, 'Hey, my stalker ex-boyfriend is in town, come to the bar with me so he lays off' kinda thing. Anything they want, they're the boss. But I don't go home with them...unless that's part of the deal—but that's on their terms, and nothing happens, I swear."

Proto Man was beginning to get confused at Top Man's explanation of his prime function. "...What exactly is it you do?"

"I, uh, don't have a name for it."

"Forget it, I don't want to know."

They darted underneath the football bleachers, then waited for a group of students to pass by.

"You don't like it here, do you? Something about Light University really bothers you," whispered Top Man.

Proto Man ignored him.

Top Man correctly interpreted his silence as coldness. "Oh uh, sorry, wasn't trying to pry, heh heh," he said bracingly, "—It's just, you're a guy who can always keep his cool in high stress situations (which is why you're the world's greatest robot) but something's got you a little stressed out. Your shoulders are tense and you keep clenching your right hand nervously. I noticed these things in people—humans, usually. Did anyone ever tell you that you are programmed with very human-like mannerisms?"

"Stop looking at me, and mind your own business," Proto Man told him shortly, finding Top Man's constant chatter annoying. He peered out across the athletic fields, then up at Edison Hall, unconsciously clenching his right hand into a fist before realizing what he was doing and stopping himself. "Until we get to Light's mainframe computer and change the security protocols, we're boxed in by that force field generator. Once they figure out we're inside, they can trap us in here by putting the campus on lockdown."

"Right. So what do we do now?"

"Just lay low! We don't have the campus secured yet," replied Proto Man impatiently.

"Gotcha." Top Man stood back, whirled in place, taking on a human appearance again, then slipped off down the bleachers. To Top Man's credit, he was light on his feet and seemed adept at sneaking around—so at least that part of his history was true, even if his origins as a car salesman were a lie.

 _That got rid of him,_ Proto Man thought, setting his eyes on the underground robot storage facility.

* * *

Mega Man was just heading back to the football field to kill some time watching the various athlete bots when he spotted Proto Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man sneaking across the running track between the student gym and the football bleachers.

_Wily's bots again!_

Checking first to make sure there were no students nearby, he ran toward the Bad Bots. "Hey Proto! What are you doing in school?" he called loudly.

Proto Man turned to face him, smirking softly. "I came to teach you a lesson!"

They drew their plasma cannons. Mega Man fired first. Proto Man avoided it by jumping onto the facade of the student gym. He fired a high powered shot back, hitting Mega Man with enough force to send him flying backward onto the basketball court where Guts Man was waiting.

Guts Man uprooted one of the basketball nets by its pole, and began swinging it down at Mega Man like a giant flyswatter. As Mega Man was dodging, he heard a soft rustle of leaves from behind him as Snake Man leapt out of the trees. Mega Man staggered back as a barrage of _Search Snakes_ ambushed him. Two landed on his plasma cannon and began tearing viciously through the titanium casing.

"Mega needs my help!" called a voice.

It was the Kung Fu Bot from earlier. He backflipped across the basketball court, stopping in place in front of Guts Man and striking a pose. "Take heed, robot, I know karate!"

Guts Man turned away from Mega Man, promptly slamming Kung Fu Bot through the red polyurethane ground with the basketball hoop's backboard.

Mega Man noticed he was feeling dizzy, a telltale warning that he was low on plasma power. He kicked away the _Search Snakes_ that were nipping at his heals, then crushed the two on his arm with his fist. Ducking underneath another flying _Search Snake,_ Mega Man grabbed Snake Man by the tail of his helmet and flung him into the scoreboard. Then, crouching low to help steady himself, he leveled his blaster at Guts Man, who was looming over Kung Fu Bot.

"Drop him, Guts Man!" he ordered.

Something struck Mega Man hard in the back, nearly depleting his plasma reserves. He crumpled to the ground.

"It was a blast while it lasted, bro," he heard Proto Man call. "Lock him up."

Guts Man stooped over Mega Man and lifted from the ground by his shoulder. Mega Man's mind swam as Guts Man carried him off, swinging him back and forth like luggage. He didn't see what happened to the Kung Fu robot. A second later, Mega Man was thrown roughly onto the floor of a dark storage room for human gym equipment.

"We'd finish you off now, but we gotta lunch date," said Guts Man importantly. He slammed the door shut, cutting off all light to the room. There was a soft scrapping noise from outside as Guts Man wedged something against the door, jamming it.

Mega Man picked himself up, wincing slightly. _Gotta warn Roll!_ he thought groggily.

He turned his blaster toward himself to use his communicator, then saw what the _Search Snakes_ had done. There were deep gashes in his forearm. The communicator's wiring was frayed and sticking out, and the small audio receiver cracked beyond repair. Mega Man tried firing at the door, but the plasma cannon merely hissed, showering himself in a brief flash of sparks that illuminated the room and tingled painfully against his titanium skin.

"I'm not blasting out of here anytime soon…" he muttered to himself, dropping his sizzling arm to his side. "I've got to find what Wily's bots are up to, and fast!"

* * *

Roll had just finished Theory of Cybernetics and was walking briskly to her next class when someone caught her eye. With a bit of a pleasant start, she realized she recognized him. _Will Topman? What's he doing here?_

"Hey Toppy!" she called to him.

Will Topman turned at the sound of his name. "Roll!"

She hurried to catch up to him. "Still touring campus?"

"Yeah, a friend let me in."

"Hey Toppy!" a group of girls called. Will Topman looked in their direction and gave a small wave back.

Roll looked from Will Topman to the group of giggling girls suspiciously. He seemed popular. Maybe Mega Man was right about this. _You can't fall for a human, Roll, you're a robot!_

But she had to know if there was any real connection worth pursuing, and there was only one way of doing it.

"Hey, Toppy…since you're on your own right now, maybe I can show you around?"

"Uh…" Will Topman glanced over his shoulder toward the athletic fields. "Okay."

She led him out of the sunlight into a shaded alcove behind Vaucanson Hall where a small perennial garden lay. Alone in this semi-enclosed space, she knew they could have a private conversation. She turned to him nervously. "So, like it on campus so far, Toppy?"

"It's Top Man...Look, there's something I need to tell you," he said. The smile had vanished from his face and he looked in earnest.

Uh oh. She had no idea that he was already that into her. She was flattered, but felt nervous and a little guilty. "There's something I need to tell you too."

Will Topman looked her directly in the eye, "Look, whatever you have to say isn't important."

"Wait, it is. I think you're a real nice guy, but I should be honest with you…"

"You don't have to be honest with me—"

"No, I should, because I don't want to lead you on…"

"You might want to know more about me before you say anything more—"

"I'd really like to hang out with you more, Toppy, but I gotta let you in on a little secret."

"...and you're not even listening to me, are ya?"

"You see, the truth is—"

"ROLL!"

Roll jerked in surprise.

Will Topman grimaced apologetically. "Heh heh, sorry for shouting, please...let me go first."

He stood back, and began spinning inhumanly fast. A fraction later, he slowed to the stop, but no longer was the same person as he had been before.

"What the…?" Roll stared at the orange Robot Master who had taken the place of Will Topman in shock. "Ugh! You're a robot!"

"So are you…" the robot pointed out.

_SMACK!_

He reeled backward from the blow. Roll stared at him in shock and indignation. Topman...Top Man. _Top Man._ "You're a freaking Robot Master?!" she shouted angrily.

"Tah-dah…" said Top Man feebly, still clutching his face.

Roll struck him again, then twisted his arm around behind his back and pushing him up against the wall.

"Ow, ow, ow...you're very strong!"

"So what are your _real_ intentions here at Light University, 'babe?'"

"Please don't kill me."

"Are you a spy? Did Dr. Wily order you to get close to me? Thought you'd just pull a pretty boy routine and the rest would be easy, huh?"

"No! Wily didn't say anything about you, it was just a coincidence—"

"Aha! So you _do_ work for Wily!" Roll twisted his arm harder. Top Man wasn't much larger than herself, nor was he any stronger, and therefore wasn't able to break free. "What was all that sweet talk from before for?"

"I only talked to you b-because I needed to copy your I.D., that's all!" Top Man said through gritted teeth.

"So you were sneaking around campus tricking students into thinking you were a human— _I_ even thought you were human!"

"I thought you were human too—you even asked me out on a date," Top Man pointed out, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

Roll was irate at Top Man seemed to be implying and shoved him harder into the wall. "Are you trying to justify what you were doing?"

"No—I—Let's call it even? I had no intentions of hurting your feelings. And I don't blame you for being mad—"

"I'd be more worried about how many of your ribs I'm going to break! After you got what you wanted, how long were you going to keep up the act? Long enough to go out with me in New York, you creep?"

"I dunno, it'd have been rude to turn you down, so maybe once—just as friends! But then I found out who you were—It's not that I don't like you, I just don't _like you_ like you, and even if I did _like you_ like you, your brother is _very protective of you_ and I don't want to die."

"Who, Mega?" Roll asked, surprised.

"No, Proto Man."

"He's not my brother!" Roll spat, annoyed. "And it's not his business to be protective of me, he's my enemy!"

"What? But he told me he was your brother—Don't hurt me!" said Top Man, flinching as Roll lifted her utility arm.

"You're pathetic!"

"You're not going to call the police, are you?"

"The police? Right now I'm trying to decide if I should start with the kneecaps or your spine!" Roll looked at him critically. "Why aren't you fighting back? Where's your blaster?"

"I don't have any, I'm unarmed," answered Top Man. "Besides, I don't fight women. It's not very gentlemanly."

"Don't give me that gentleman crap. Start talking."

"I would love to, but you're kinda crushing my windpipe against the bricks..."

Roll sighed, reluctantly released Top Man, then pulled back the sleeve of her purple sweater as she drew a circular saw from her utility arm.

"No sudden moves," she warned.

"As you wish."

The continued chivalry, despite the fact that she was most likely going to take his head off…this robot was very un-Wily-ish. Top Man turned around slowly to face her, catching his breath. He looked briefly down at her utility arm, then up into her eyes.

"Who are you? Why did Wily send you here?" asked Roll.

"I'm Top Man, as I said. Wily sent me here to help him sneak past security. I'm a robot who can pass for human, even around other robots—which, up until I met you, I thought was a unique ability."

"That's your story?"

"Well, not all of it…" Top Man hesitated, glancing around, then said in a covert whisper, "I've got a lot of people after me…"

"Why? What have you done?"

"It's nothing I've done, it's what I am. I won't tell you more. You're a nice girl and it's my problem. It's bad enough that I'm telling you this much."

Roll gave a derisive snort. "Am I supposed to believe this?"

"...It's the truth."

"Please. You'd do anything to save yourself."

" _Almost_ anything. I was a rogue robot, and I've been in hiding...that is, until I found Wily."

"Wily really didn't build you?" asked Roll, lowering her utility arm grudgingly.

"No."

Roll knew Dr. Wily frequently stole and reprogrammed robots to his side, and began to feel a little sympathy for his latest recruit. She could still see a bit of Will Topman behind the orange mask—no, not Will Topman, he had never existed, it was just Top Man, and after exposing his true identity, he seemed more vulnerable and ill at ease than he had been without his armor.

Top Man chuckled softly. "You know, being a robot who can pass as a human...I thought I was alone in the world. I didn't know there were others."

"I know how that feels..."

"Kinda funny this all happened, right?" said Top Man, smiling as he relaxed a little. "Sorry about the circumstances, but in a strange way, I'm really glad I met you, Roll. It gives me hope that maybe the future won't be so bad after all."

"...Really?"

"Yeah, we all need a little hope, right?"

His smile was a bit dazzling, so genuine, sincere, yet unassuming. Roll felt a warm flutter in her chest. Top Man might work for Wily, but no one had ever opened up so completely to her before. Maybe this was the chance Roll had been looking for after all, and decided to take a small risk.

"Mmpfh!"

Roll had leaned in to kiss him. It was the most pleasant romantic experience she had ever had, significantly more pleasant than kissing Gyro Man had been—at least, it might have been, but Top Man wasn't kissing her back.

He pulled gently away and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, that wasn't a moment, I'm really just not into you—Nothing personal!" he added hastily. "I'm not looking for any type of relationship with anyone right now. You wouldn't want to date me either, I'm bad luck. Find someone special who is worthy of your attention. And don't rush into it. Relationships take time…and can come from unexpected places."

Roll was beginning to get annoyed with Top Man. She _hated_ being lectured. Who was _he_ to tell _her_ what to do? After all, didn't she just catch him red handed sweet talking to get innocent college students' I.D.'s?

Top Man was looking at her closely. "You're okay with that, right?"

Roll shook herself. "Yeah, sure, whatever," she said awkwardly.

"Good, I may be one of Wily's 'Bad Bots' now...but I'd hate to let you down over a little misunderstanding during one of Wily's missions."

"Wait, I'll take you to see Dr. Light. He can help you. You don't have to work for Wily."

Top Man chuckled sadly. "No he can't, and I _chose_ to work for Wily."

"...What?" questioned Roll, her voice lowering dangerously.

"It's my only option. Thanks for offering to help out though, it means a lot to me," Top Man said, edging away.

This action did not go unnoticed by Roll. "Waitaminute, you're trying to trick me again!"

"I'm not trying to trick you—"

"Your _real_ mission is to get me alone so you could kidnap me! I can't believe I'm being kidnapped by a Wily-bot again!"

"Whoa wait, I am not, nor did I have any intention, of kidnapping you—"

"That's your special ability, isn't it? You had some sort of scrambling power that's screwing with my emotion circuits, trying to make me feel sorry for you!"

"What? I don't have any scrambling powers, all I can do is pass for a good looking human!"

"Not after I crush your face! You know what I do to sleezebags like you?"

"I really, really don't want to find out—"

Roll fired the projectile saw. Top Man's eyes widened in shock, but in a flash had dropped underneath the blade in a surprisingly lithe evasion. He gave a sharp exhale of breath as the embeded blade quivered in the brick wall above him.

"Um, I'm going to leave now…"

He ducked behind a viburnum bush and vanished around the corner of the building before she could fire another shot.

"Coward!" Roll shouted after him, fuming. _Damn, he's fast!_ Then the gravity of the situation caught up to her.

"Wily's robots are on campus! Mega's in trouble!"

* * *

Mega Man was busy combing over the storage room for means of escape when he heard footsteps outside.

"Mega?"

"Here!" he called, darting over to the door. "Is that you, Roll?"

"Yeah. Hang on, I'll get you out—"

He heard a sharp metallic squeak as Roll used a crowbar to pry off the dumbell rod Guts Man had wedged in the door, which fell with a clang to the ground. She kicked the door open.

"I knew something bad had happened when you weren't answering your communicator—but luckily I found Rush, he lead me here," said Roll, stepping inside.

"My blaster's down. Look, I know this is a lot to ask, but I need your help stopping Wily's robots...It may risk exposing yourself as a robot and giving up classes here—"

"You kidding? I'm ready to rip apart Wily's creeps," Roll said with unexpected vehemence. She tugged off her purple sweater and tossed it into a corner of the room, revealing that she had been wearing her yellow and red titanium jumpsuit underneath it all along.

"Alright then," Mega Man said, nonplussed.

* * *

After locking up, Proto Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, and Snake Man had broken into the underground robot storage facility and reprogrammed the athletics robots with the Reprogramming Raygun.

"Proto to Wily, mission accomplished," said Proto Man into his communicator as he walked through the ranks of tackle-bots.

Dr. Wily didn't answer Proto Man. Instead, his image appeared on a hanging television above the tackle-bots heads. "Attention all robots, you will obey only Dr. Wily," he commanded.

A murmur of submission rippled through the reprogrammed robots as they turned toward the monitor. Behind them, a double door burst open as Mega Man, Roll, and Rush came crashing in.

"Not all of them!" cried Mega Man.

Dr. Wily growled. "Not that blue dweeb again! Student-bots, your first homework assignment is DESTROY MEGA MAN!"

Proto Man drew a blaster. "Since you're out of plasma, Mega, I'd be glad to give you some of mine..."

He fired at Mega Man, forcing him to dodge out into the center of the room.

"That's fighting dirty! I'll even up the odds for you, Mega!" said Roll, drawing her toaster cannon from her utility arm. She fired back in a giant, blazing blast. Proto Man and Snake Man scattered away in time, but Cut Man and Guts Man were both hit and sent flying across the room along with half of the baseball-bots to crash into a heap among the tennis equipment.

"Nice bolster from the toaster roaster," said Mega Man, giving her a thumbs up.

"I told you I'm not calling it that!"

"Why? It's great."

Rush was snarling madly as he bit and snapped at the basketball-bots. Snake Man had his blaster trained on Roll, but for some reason, had not fired. Roll took advantage of the opening and fired a rotary saw at him, clipping him across the shoulder as he tumbled out of the way. She ducked underneath a _Rolling Cutter_ from a disheveled but recovering Cut Man and was about to return fire when a rock climbing robot snuck up from behind and snagged her utility arm with its climbing rope.

_"Hey!"_

Mega Man started toward Roll to help out when a wall of tackle-bots suddenly engulfed him, steamrolling him to the floor. He felt a flurry of heavy boots kicking him from all sides. Thoroughly battered, Mega Man fought his way out of the assault and back into the open.

Proto Man fired Mega Man in the chest, knocking him back against the wall. Mega Man fell to the ground as the tackle-bots closed in around him.

"You put up a good fight, Mega," said Proto Man, reforming his blaster back into a hand. "But not good enough."

From across the room, Roll gave an angry shout as Guts Man grabbed her and Rush.

Mega Man tried to stand back up, but his energy reserves were nearly depleted and his joints refused to respond without some sort of recharge. He glared up at Dr. Wily's face on the hanging television. "I'll bust you Wily! It's just a matter of time…"

Dr. Wily peered down at him, his beady blue eyes gleaming viciously. "'Tiiiime?' Oooh, I'm afraid you have very little of that left, Mega Man!"

* * *

After tying them up with steel cables, Guts Man and Cut Man dragged Mega Man, Roll, and Rush to the basement of the building where a large mechanical structure that controlled the buildings's clock tower was kept. Guts Man tore off the safety casing that usually covered the slow moving gears, then lashed Mega Man and Roll to their toothy surfaces and left them there. Though the windmill-sized gears moved slowly, they came together with a force that would easily crush both Mega Man's and Roll's titanium skeletons.

"This isn't good...campus isn't gong to be the same now that Dr. Wily is reprogramming the robots," said Mega Man.

Roll was busy seething about something else. "I'm going to get even with that two timing Top Man for tampering with my emotion circuits!"

"Who?" asked Mega Man, slightly distracted as he attempted to wriggle free. The gear underneath him had rotated several inches as the clock above marked another minute. At least Dr. Wily's idea of a deathtrap allowed them some time for escape.

"That guy I told you about earlier."

He glanced sharply over at Roll. "...his name is 'Top Man?'"

"Yeah, he's a Robot Master."

"Wait, I thought you told me he was human."

"I thought he was, but he's actually a Wily-bot! Ugh, a robot pretending to be human, what a creep!"

Mega Man mentally sighed. _I bet this Top Man character had something to do with how the Bad Bots got back in,_ he thought wryly, but didn't dare say anything out loud. "Nevermind—we won't have any circuits if we don't figure a way out of this jam!" He gritted his teeth as he looked up into the teeth of the massive gear above him, slowly rotating closer. "Too bad my blaster's busted, it only short circuits...Hey, that's it!"

Mega Man fired. A sharp shock rent up his arm, but the crackling plasma cut through the steel cables. With a snap, his bindings loosened and he was able to slide to the floor to free Roll and Rush.

"Now that's being rescued in the nick of time!" quipped Roll.

Mega Man's head was beginning to spin from fatigue again, but he shook it off and put his mind on stopping Dr. Wily. "Right, now let's go arrest your latest ex."

Roll stuck out her tongue at him.

* * *

Proto Man joined the other robots in Edison Hall. So good so far. Mega Man was out of the way, and Snake Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man had finished reprogramming the rest of the students' robots. They could walk freely around campus without drawing suspicion, and were putting the school on silent lockdown by corralling students and staff together in the classrooms that had been soundproofed for study. All Proto Man had left to do was break into Dr. Light's classroom and use his computer to get control of the forcefield.

Ring Man and Magnet Man sidled into the lobby as Snake Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man fanned out to secure the first floor.

"Where have you guys been?" asked Proto Man.

"Uh, not saying I'm proud of this, but we've been breaking into peoples' cars," admitted Ring Man. "A lot of the students here come from loaded families. Just finished loading up the jet...let me know if you want keys to a yellow 1995 Aerohead convertible. So, can we leave yet?"

"We're not here for human junk. Magnet Man, go jam all entrances into this building."

"Uh…" said Magnet Man, reluctant to be put to work.

"Just do it. Mega Man and Roll are out of the way. I'm going after Light and I don't want any company," said Proto Man, turning toward a staircase.

Top Man followed him.

"What happened to your brother and sister?" he asked curiously as they climbed.

"Tied them to the gear system in that old fashioned clock tower they have in the center of campus. They won't be bothering us anytime soon."

Top Man looked shocked. "Y-you killed them?"

"Nah, they probably escaped after we left. They usually do." Proto Man looked sharply at Top Man. "...Why? You don't have feelings for Roll, do you?"

"Absolutely not," Top Man replied quickly, recovering. "Ended that just like you said, told her I was a Bad Bot, and now she wants to feed my circuits to a goat."

They had reached the top floor. Proto Man turned sharply to face Top Man, blocking the door.

"Great. By the way, you're done here. Bye."

Top Man looked taken aback. "Wait, what? What do you mean I'm done? Didn't I do a good job?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't like your job was breaking into Fort Knox...and you don't have a weapon. That's kinda a requirement to be in Wily's army."

"You can't let me go, I know too much!" Top Man cried desperately.

"You don't know anything."

"I could tell everyone what I do know."

"Then we'll find you and kill you."

Top Man opened his mouth wordlessly, clearly searching for another protest.

"You're not going to make this hard, are ya?" asked Proto Man, drawing a blaster.

"I, uh…" stammered Top Man, backing away.

"I didn't like you from the start," said Proto Man. "I can tell you're trouble."

Top Man gulped but held his ground. "Proto Man, please…I won't last another week out there…"

"Why? I know you're not a dangerous killer robot, you're too... _soft._ So why are you so afraid of the cops? It's not like they'll dismantle you, you'll get captured and reprogrammed into a steward or _real_ car salesman or any other domestic robot. That's gotta be better than whatever it is you've been doing up until now."

Top Man didn't answer. He didn't have much of a poker face, and Proto Man could read plainly that whatever Top Man was running away from was truly terrible, and that any of the alternatives Proto Man had just suggested weren't really an option.

He sighed. "I get it, you need somewhere safe to hide out. But it's not my problem. If you're still here when I leave Light's classroom, I'm blasting you, got it?"

He left Top Man trembling on the stairs. It was pitiful, but Proto Man was not moved. Top Man had, after all, hit on Roll.

* * *

Dr. Light sat alone in his classroom, busy compiling notes and putting them into a presentation on his computer.

"First, I'll explain to the students my theory of reverse gravity vectors. And then, I'll show them how to build my antigravity machine," he murmured happily to himself. He looked up as he heard footsteps outside the door. "Early for class...that's the sign of a dedicated student." Proto Man stepped through the door, and Dr. Light froze. "What's this all about?"

The large overhead monitor hanging in front of the classroom hissed to life, and Dr. Wily appeared on its screen. "Simple, Dr. Light. I'm taking over your classroom so that your students can build your antigravity device, _for me."_

Proto Man leaned against the doorframe, letting Dr. Wily talk, regarding Dr. Light detachedly.

"No! You mustn't do that!" Dr. Light shouted angrily at the screen, standing up.

"Ooooh, but I have to! How else can I rip City Hall off its foundations and float it away?" jeered Dr. Wily. "Put him in storage," he told Proto Man as he ended the transmission.

Dr. Light glared from the blank monitor to Proto Man. Deciding to keep this as brief and painless as possible, Proto Man strode confidently across the room. "Sorry to crash your first class...nothing personal, this is just business as—"

But Proto Man didn't finish. Without a word, Dr. Light had whipped out a gun from his desk and fired point-blank at Proto Man's chest just as Proto Man had closed in on him. A basketball-sized sphere of energy phased into Proto Man and began to crackle through all his circuits.

Proto Man stared at the gun in shock. It had never occurred to him that Dr. Light would pull a weapon on him, it was too against his nature. Internally he could feel his motor functions slow to a stall, then crash, one by one, and his legs gave out from underneath him. Dr. Light caught him before he fell, then lowered him gently down on his back.

Proto Man trembled on the tiled floor as the rest of his systems crashed. "When I said you needed to let go of the past, this isn't what I had in mind…" he mumbled blearily as he completely powered down, his arms falling slack and his head rolling to the side.

Dr. Light took his jacket from his chair, rolled it into a cushion, and placed in underneath Proto Man's head. He was just about to call Mega Man when the door to his classroom door flew back open, as Snake Man rushed inside, followed by Guts Man, Cut Man, Ring Man, and Magnet Man.

Dr. Light fired at Snake Man, but he had a shaky hand and poor aim, and missed Snake Man completely. Snake Man returned fire, knocking the gun out of Dr. Light's hand and sending it skidding out of reach. Two _Search Snakes_ slithered across the floor and clasped onto Dr. Light's loafers like shackles.

"Ssssurrender, Light," Snake Man said scathingly, leveling his blaster with Dr. Light's heart.

Dr. Light held up his hands, but squinted at Snake Man with a bit of perplexity. "I beg your pardon, what did you say?"

Snake Man sighed then made a motion for Dr. Light not to move.

Ring Man and Magnet Man spotted Proto Man lying on the floor beside Dr. Light's desk and darted over to his side. Magnet Man looked over at Ring Man and shook his head, but Ring Man squatted down next to Proto Man's prone body, punching Proto Man in the jaw. "Wake up, damn it."

Proto Man did not respond.

"Is he dead?" asked Guts Man as he and Cut Man gathered around them.

"Wily will kill us for letting Proto Man die!" whined Cut Man, panicking.

"He's not dead, he was shot with an electro-neutralizer pulse gun—look," said Ring Man, pointing at gun that lay underneath a filing cabinet. "Shit. I can't get him back online. We need Wily."

Top Man had edged into the room after Magnet Man and Ring Man. "What's going on? What happened to him?" he asked anxiously, standing on tip toe to look over Guts Man's shoulder. "I heard a commotion and I, uh, thought I'd make sure everything was okay…"

"Proto Man's down, Light shot him with an electro-neutralizer pulse," answered Ring Man. "He won't power back on."

Snake Man glared at Proto Man coldly. "Leave him. Our priority isss Dr. Wily'sss misssssion. Take Light away and plassse him into sssstorage assss Dr. Wily commanded."

"Uh, what?" asked Ring Man, looking up at Snake Man.

"He said he wants us to lock Light up," said Cut Man unexpectedly. He had been squinting at Snake Man with intense concentration, as though straining to hear what he said. Snake Man gave him a curt nod.

"You're coming with me, Light!" said Guts Man, lifting Dr. Light off the floor from the lapels of his jacket. Dr. Light didn't struggle, but his eyes lingered on Proto Man as he was hauled from the room.

Snake Man turned toward Cut Man with a bit of newfound appreciation that at least one of the Robot Masters could understand him past the lisp.

"Gather the ssstudentsss. Dr. Wily hasss work for them."

* * *

Dr. Wily was not happy that Proto Man had been incapacitated by Dr. Light, but even less happy with the students he was forcing to build the antigravity machine.

"Work, work, work my dedicated students! I have a deadline!" he growled.

Cut Man and Guts Man were prowling through the students like circling hawks while Snake Man oversaw the operations from underneath the hanging monitor Dr. Wily was broadcasting from. Ring Man and Magnet Man could care less about the students or the antigravity machine, and were far more content with the virtually effortless job of watching over Proto Man while playing _Street Fighter_ on stolen Gameboys. Top Man joined them, but was clearly nervous about something and determinedly trying not attract attention to himself. Snake Man gave him frequent cold stares, as though suspicious of him.

As the students began construction following Dr. Light's lesson plan, Dr. Wily was busy criticizing some of the students' plans for prototype robots with obvious disgust.

"What is this robot?" demanded Dr. Wily, displaying the plans for a robot with a goofy painted face and many thin, noodle like appendages. "Some kind of torture device, I hope?"

"It's...suppose to be a pediatrician robot, sir. It nurtures sick children," spoke up the inventor timidly.

"That is the most worthless invention I've ever heard of! Where are the laser guns? The all terrain treads? How is it suppose to subjugate mankind without heat-seeking missiles, hmmm?"

"...It's not suppose to, sir."

"And what of this robot?" asked Dr. Wily, displaying a barrel-shaped robot with a rainbow, LED dome.

"We call that the party-bot," answered one of the other students proudly.

"Hahahaha, score," said his buddy, giving him a high-five.

"Can it subjugate mankind?"

"No, but he can chug an entire keg in ten seconds."

"And what is the point of this inane invention?"

The student thought for a moment then shrugged.

"You all make me sick," spat Dr. Wily. "How could Tom allow such simpletons into his university? If this had been _my_ university, I would flunk you all and build robots to take your place."

"If only we were so lucky," murmured a girl with thick, plastic-framed glasses.

"Man, this is bullshit...I signed up to take classes with Tom Light, not his rejected mad scientist lab assistant," another student muttered back to her.

"I heard that!" Dr. Wily yelled shrilly. "I was only Light's _temporary_ lab assistant! And it was I who rejected him because his ego was in the way of my scientific brilliance! Just for that little comment, I'm taking away all bathroom privileges!"

The student rolled his eyes.

In the back of the classroom, Ramón had been busy surreptitiously positioning himself closer to the exit while Cut Man and Guts Man were distracted reprimanding students for not working hard enough or mimicking Dr. Wily's accent. At his first opportunity, Ramón slipped out the door and ran as quietly as he could down the stairs.

* * *

Roll and Mega Man had crept out of the clock tower basement and back onto the campus grounds. "Where are the Bad Bots now?" asked Roll as they ducked into the woods.

"My bet is on Edison Hall," answered Mega Man as they hid behind a broad tree trunk. "They'd want to take control of the forcefield from Dr. Light's computer."

"Gotcha, so we're heading there?"

Mega Man sighed. "No, they'll have already done that by now...Dr. Light's in danger. We gotta find him first. Keep your eyes peeled for Wily's bots."

"Pssst. Tackle-bots behind you!" said a voice from behind a hedge of juniper bushes.

Mega Man, Roll and Rush ducked as a patrol of tackle-bots passed by. Mega Man looked back into the bushes.

"Ramón?" he queried after the tackle-bots had passed by.

Ramón was crouching underneath a bush. He gave them a small wave.

"This place is crawling with Wily's reprogrammed student bots!" Mega Man commented, squatting next to Ramón.

"Yeah. I just escaped from Edison Hall," said Ramon. "Dr. Wily's forcing all the students to work together on an antigravity machine."

"Wily took over Dr. Light's class? How generous of him. Not how you imagined you'd be spending your first day of college, huh?" said Mega Man wryly. He leaned back wearily on the trunk of a tree.

"Here, I pocketed this," said Ramón, tossing Mega Man an energy can from his messenger bag. "I swiped it _after_ Wily's robots showed up," he added hastily.

"Good thinking, I'm running on fumes," said Mega Man as he popped the energy can's tab. "So Wily has control of all students' robots now?"

"Not all of them." Ramón gestured further behind them, where for the first time Mega Man noticed a cluster of robots hiding in the underbrush. "For some reason, Wily didn't want any of the cheerbots."

"When he found out my only 'weapon' is a paintbrush, he said I was useless and that red robot agreed with him," spoke up the Painter Bot with a disdainful sniff. "The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions."

The Kung Fu Bot dropped down from a tree. "I was able to conceal myself from his robots because I know nijitsu!"

Roll looked like she was about to explode.

"What's the plan, Mega? Frontal assault? A surprise attack?" asked Kung Fu Bot eagerly.

"Neither," answered Mega Man. "First I gotta get my blaster fixed, and only Doc can do that."

"But who knows what Wily's done with him by now," said Roll.

Mega Man turned toward Rush. "We need your super sniffer, Rush!"

Rush lead them in a serpentine path through campus, carefully avoiding reprogrammed drones, until they reached a small cement utility shed. Mega Man kicked down the door. Dr. Light was huddled alone in the darkness at the back of the shed, bound and gagged.

"Sorry I didn't knock first, Doc," said Mega Man with a rueful smile.

After untying Dr. Light, they gathered inside the utility shed while Dr. Light worked on Mega Man's blaster.

"The damage was extensive, Mega…" Dr. Light said finally, closing the access panel on Mega Man's forearm, "—But this repair should keep your blaster operational temporarily."

"Thanks, Doc. I'm gunna need it to take back your antigravity machine."

"Oh you must, Mega. Wily's planning on using it to raise City Hall."

"We should get going then," said Roll. "Thanks for the help, Ramón. You better stay here with Dr. Light while we go after the Bad Bots."

"Go get 'em, Roll!" Ramón cheered as Roll and the other robots headed out of the utility shed.

Dr. Light caught Mega Man's arm as he was about to follow them.

"I've already taken care of Proto Man. He's powered down in my classroom," said Dr. Light in a low, meaningful voice.

"Oh." Mega Man hesitated. "He's not going to be too happy when he wakes up."

"I doubt he will be...but Mega Man, you must bring him in. If we are ever to defeat Wily for good, then we can't allow Proto to escape again. He's Wily's greatest advantage."

"I understand that," said Mega Man, turning to leave. Privately, he felt unhappy by this news. Though Proto Man had proven himself to be staunchly loyal to Dr. Wily, Mega Man was still hoping he'd eventually come around as the Proto Man from the alternate future had. He was not optimistic that forcing present day Proto Man to give up his allegiance would do any good.

* * *

Carefully avoiding the campus security drones, Mega Man, Roll and the other robots were able to sneak into another wooded area outside Edison Hall. "More tackle-bots!" whispered Mega Man, pointing out the guards stationed around the building's only remaining entrance. "If I try to take them out, they might get a chance to warn the others. We need a diversion."

"Leave that to us," said Roll. "You're on first, cheerbot!"

One of the cheerbots backflipped out of the woods to face a pair of tackle-bots. "Rah rah rah, sis boom bah, you're a bunch of bot brains hahaha," she chanted in a nasally voice. Then she fired the yellow pom-poms she had for hands into the faces of the takle-bots.

"It's one of them bots we've been looking for," said one of the guards. They immediately gave chase.

"The tackle-bots don't have good depth perception, it's a major flaw in their sensory systems," Roll informed Mega Man as the cheerbot lead the tackle-bots around the building to a portion of the wall that the Painter Bot had painted a good likeness of Mega Man upon (which the Painter Bot had deemed uninspired, pandering, and tastelessly commercial). "Ramón told me."

"If this plan works…" Mega Man muttered to himself.

Sure enough, the tackle-bots stopped short when they came across the mural. "Forget the cheerbot, there's Mega Man!"

The tackle-bots raised their blaster arms and fired into the wall, blasting the painting apart. They took a closer look at the wreckage, their eyes screwing up as though they were having great difficulty.

"Uhhh...it was just a drawing. Someone tricked us!" one of them proclaimed finally.

"Yeah, we did!" crowed the Kung Fu Bot, swooping out of the shadows. He clocked one of the tackle-bots over the head with trash can, then kicked the other with a grandiose round-house kick.

While the tackle-bots were sufficiently distracted, Mega Man decided to make a break for the entrance. "I'm going in, you keep watch over everyone out here," he told Roll. "...And try not to wreck up the students' robots too much."

"No guarantees," said Roll, a chainsaw unfolding from her utility arm.

* * *

"Sssnake Man to Dr. Wily, the antigravity machine isss complete. What's isss your nexssst order?"

Snake Man was speaking to Dr. Wily through the overhead monitor. Behind him, the disgruntled humans were huddled tensely on the floor next to a tall, conical machine plated in gleaming silver steel.

"I'm on my way to pick it up," Dr. Wily answered, smiling broadly. "When I give the word, disengage the force field. Mwhahahha. I can't wait to see the Mayor's face when I steal City Hall right out from under his nose."

_POW!_

A burst of plasma exploded against Snake Man's back, blasting him through the monitor, which crumbled to the floor in a shower of sparks as Mega Man came running into the room. "You'll have to deal with me first, Wily!"

He turned toward the captive students gathered around the gravity machine. "Get out of here!" he called. They hastily obliged, dropping their work tools to stream out the door as one.

Cut Man looked at a loss for what to do as the students escaped. "….Hey!" he yelled finally.

Mega Man grinned at him. "Hey Cut Man and Guts Man, by the way—you two really ought to tell Wily to switch up his usual line-up—By now I know all your tricks and can beat you while sleep walking."

"Why you little punk, I'll show you!" bellowed Guts Man, shaking a giant fist.

* * *

"I still can't wake Proto Man up! Shit, and Mega Man's here..." murmured Ring Man as he, Magnet Man, and Top Man observed the fight from across the classroom. He bolted to his feet as Cut Man fell. "Yeah, we're boned."

"Word," agreed Magnet Man.

Magnet Man and Ring Man backed away from Proto Man.

"Wait, shouldn't we help?" asked Top Man.

"And get caught too? Magnet Man and I are splitting, you should come too," said Ring Man as Magnet Man opened a back window with _Manet Hold_. "C'mon, before Mega Man locks us in."

Top Man shook his head fervently. "I can't go back out on the streets."

"Sure you can, what's the big deal? You're a cool bot, we'll look out for you."

"You don't understand…"

"We would if you filled us in…" said Ring Man, raising a brow. "You haven't been around Wily enough, but trust me, working for him blows. Besides, you said Proto Man was trying to kick you out anyway."

Top Man glanced nervously at the fight. Mega Man had just blasted Guts Man across the room.

"Last chance," said Magnet Man.

"C'mon, man," urged Ring Man.

But Top Man was already steeling himself up to fight.

* * *

"You can't shut me down that easy, Gutsy!" Mega Man taunted as Guts Man crashed into a computer bank. He looked up at the completed antigravity machine, somewhat impressed by what the students had accomplished, albeit under the strict dictatorship of Dr. Wily. "Now to haul this baby out of here..."

An unfamiliar Robot Master suddenly skidded out from behind the antigravity machine. Mega Man held his fire, looking critically over the robot in the tight orange and black titanium suit and bulbous helmet. _I'm never going to understand Roll's tastes._

"You must be Top Man—"

He was cut off as Top Man pressed the largest and most conspicuous button on the antigravity machine's side. A red beam shot out from the generator on top, enveloping Mega Man. His stomach lurched as his feet slipped away from the floor. He was weightless. The beam sputtered, then suddenly Mega Man was jerked upward, the classroom falling underneath him as he crashed through the ceiling, hurtling upward as if falling into the sky—until he crashed with enough velocity to push him half way through the underside of the force field. For a brief moment, his vision went white from pain, then he completely powered down.

* * *

The Robot Masters all winced as Mega Man hit the force field with a sickening crackle then fell with a crunch into a grove of elm trees on the edge of campus.

"Shit, you got Mega Man!" said Ring Man to Top Man, looking impressed.

Top Man was shaking. He backed away from the antigravity machine. "I—I didn't mean to do that," he stammered.

"Forget about it, you got Mega Man!" Ring Man crowed again.

Cut Man's communicator began beeping as he picked himself off the floor with a wince.

"I'm coming down in the Skullker! Shut off the forcefield, Cut Man," crackled Dr. Wily's voice.

"Yes, Dr. Wily."

Cut Man darted over the classroom's mainframe computer, using Dr. Light's card to override the campus's security protocols. Outside, the forcefield dissipated. Then he opened the canopy exit in the classroom's roof. The Skullker descended smoothly inside, landing with a bump next to the antigravity machine.

Dr. Wily leapt out of the Skullker and strode briskly over to Proto Man, rolled him over, and opened a panel on his back to access his power generator. After a moment, Proto Man's systems began to boot up with a soft whine.

Proto Man woke suddenly with a jerk. "He shot me!" he snapped indignantly, sitting up. Then he paused, looking around. "What happened?"

"You were shot by a pulsar laser gun," said Cut Man promptly.

"Yeah, no kidding, my head is killing me…So we lost again?" he asked, pushing himself up off the floor using Dr. Light's desk.

"Give your systems a chance to reboot," Dr. Wily ordered in exasperation.

Proto Man ignored him. "Where's Mega Man?"

"Top Man got 'im," said Guts Man.

"Yeah, Top Man saved our asses. Yours too," Ring Man added pointedly. He did not add that he and Magnet Man had been about to desert them. "He used the antigravity machine to blast Mega Man into the forcefield."

Proto Man looked up, noticing the Mega Man-sized hole blasted in the roof.

Dr. Wily's lip curled. "Awww, tch tch, what a shame, Mega Man terminated…. _buuut,_ it was for a good cause: he proved that the antigravity machine works, and now there's no one to stop me from using it! Mwhahahah! Guts Man! Load my antigravity machine into the Skullker. Then, you and the other Robot Masters will remain here. Once I leave, I want Light University to be locked down. No one leaves...I can't risk anyone spoiling my plans now that I'm so close..." Dr. Wily turned to Top Man. "Well done, Top Man. You have proven yourself as a valuable asset to my team. Defeating Mega Man is a task few of my robots have managed to accomplish...I will have _much_ more work for you in the future."

"Absolutely, your will is my command," Top Man replied, inclining his head toward Dr. Wily respectfully. He looked over at Proto Man and gave a hesitant smile, which faltered quickly as Proto Man frowned back, annoyed.

Proto Man stalked off toward the Skullker with Dr. Wily. He had just tried kicking this Robot Master out of the Bad Bots, but Top Man had not only saved them all, he had saved the mission _and_ taken out Mega Man—with dumb luck, but the damage was done: he had won Dr. Wily's approval. There would be no getting rid of him now.

**_To be continued…_ **


	3. Campus Commandos, Part 3

After Mega Man had crashed into the forcefield, Roll, Rush, Kung Fu Bot, Painter Bot, and the cheerbots had fallen back to move him away from the scene as the campus security drones closed in, searching for his body. They returned to the utility shed to regroup with Dr. Light and Ramón.

It had grown dark outside. They crowded anxiously around Dr. Light and Mega Man as Dr. Light removed the access panel on Mega Man's chest.

"His pulsar pulse is zero, his backup reserves are completely drained," murmured Dr. Light after close evaluation. Rush nosed Mega Man's limp arm, whining softly.

"Can you get him back online?" asked Roll.

"I don't know. In this state, he's too weak to power up."

"What if we gave him some more energy, then jumpstarted his systems?" asked Ramón. He fidgeted as though nervous to give Dr. Light a suggestion.

"We'd need an external power source," said Dr. Light, stroking Mega Man's shoulder with his thumb.

"Will this work?" Ramón rummaged through his messenger bag and pulled out a common power booster. "It's from the electronic store I work at. It was defective, so my manager said if I fixed it I could keep it. She knows I'm studying to take classes here."

Dr. Light turned to Ramón, looking impressed. "It's worth a try," he said, brightening. "Do you have a spare energy can as well?"

Ramón nodded, handing over the equipment.

Lifting Mega Man's head up, Dr. Light tipped the entire contents of the energy can into Mega Man's mouth. He attached the booster to Mega Man's chest like a defibrillator, then sent an electrical shock directly to the power cells in Mega Man's chest. They waited, but nothing happened.

"He's not responding," murmured Dr. Light.

"Here, let me try," said Roll, attaching the booster to the motor in her utility arm. "C'mon, bro...wake up!"

She fired another charge. With a start, Mega Man shook awake, then winced as he sat up.

"Whoa...what happened? Did Wily get away?"

"Looks that way, Mega," answered Roll, unhooking the booster from her arm.

The forcefield flickered above them and died. They saw the Skullker, a black silhouette against a deep blue night, lift off from Edison Hall—Dr. Light's anti-gravity machine hanging beneath it—then zoom off toward the bright lights of New York City. With a hum, the forcefield fired up again.

"We've to go after them—" said Mega Man, hauling himself to his feet with a wince.

"There's a forcefield gate just beyond the library," said Dr. Light.

They ran out of the tree line into the open, finding the way toward the forcefield gate unprotected (Roll effortlessly dispatched meddlesome campus security drones while glancing guiltily at Dr. Light). But as Dr. Light slid his I.D. through the card reader, it beeped a polite three note rejection, the gate refusing to power down.

"Wily must have changed the code, we're trapped on campus," sighed Dr. Light, tucking his I.D. back into his pocket.

"I bet his bots are guarding its generator," said Roll.

"They'll be guarding the scrap heap when I get through with them," muttered Mega Man. "Where are the students?"

"Taking refuge in the University's storm shelter," said Roll. "They'll be safe there until this is all over."

"The Stealth Glider's in the science lab, Mega," said Dr. Light, pointing back toward Edison Hall. "You need it to get close to Wily without being detected."

"Catching up to Wily is only part of the problem," said Mega Man grimly. "My blaster is still in bad shape. If it goes out, I don't have a weapon."

"I may have a solution for that," said Dr. Light. "The Stealth Glider is equipped with its own laser weapon for greater accuracy at distances or while flying high speed. Until your plasma cannon is fully repaired, you could use that as a temporary replacement blaster."

"I can break into Edison Hall and get the glider," volunteered Roll.

Mega Man motioned for the others to gathered around him. "Okay bots, here's the plan…"

* * *

After Dr. Wily and Proto Man left Edison Hall, Ring Man persuaded Top Man to remain behind with him and Magnet Man to 'guard' the building, which Ring Man assured would keep them out of the action.

"Hey," said Magnet Man, jerking a thumb toward the window.

"What's up?" asked Ring Man, peering outside. "Someone's coming up the side of the building...looks like Roll."

Top Man dropped to the floor, flattening against the wall below the windows. "Shit."

Ring Man looked over at Top Man. "What's the matter? Still haven't fessed up to her about being a Bad Bot yet?"

"No, I did. She took it well, at first, but then she, well..." Top Man trailed off with a chagrin shrug.

Ring Man read between the lines. "She _kissed_ you? Dude, if Proto Man finds out, you are _so dead._ _"_

"I didn't mean for it to go anywhere, I swear!"

"Why not? She may be a hothead, but she's still _h_ _ot_ , right?"

"Well, aside from the fact that I'm trying to get on Proto Man's _good side_ and away from the business end of his blaster, it just wouldn't work out, even if we were both interested."

"What's the matter, not interested in girls?" Ring Man asked keenly.

"Not right now. Just brings trouble."

"Oh really? How often does that happen to you?"

"Every single time," Top Man said miserably.

Ring Man and Magnet Man glanced at each other. "Oh, uh...sorry man," said Ring Man. "Listen, you better go. She's probably coming up to kick our asses. Sneak out the fire escape, I got this."

"…Really?"

"Yeah, I'll stall."

"Thanks a million," Top Man said gratefully. He darted toward the opposite window, hopped lightly to the fire escape and disappeared.

Not a second later, Roll burst into the science lab like a wrecking ball, shards of glass shattering everywhere, a nail gun drawn. Catching sight of Magnet Man and Ring Man, her battle stance slackened, and she lowered her utility arm.

"Oh, it's just _you two._ _"_

Ring Man waved. "'Sup."

"Don't you 'sup' me! You hit on me! Remember?"

"Uuuuhh...no?"

Magnet Man nudged Ring Man's shoulder and whispered something to him. Ring Man's eyes lit up in sudden recollection.

"Oh yeah! You shot me with some kind of sharp disk thingy! Dude! That was so not cool!"

"A creep like you should be used to getting shot in the face."

"Hey, I'm not a creep! Creeps are like weirdos with binoculars who follow people to their homes. I'm a punk who likes to start bar fights. Just ask Magnet, he's the one always bailing me out. "

Magnet Man looked bored.

"It's the way I was programmed at Fun World," Ring Man continued with a small shrug. "I heckled visitors so they would lose at ring toss."

Roll gave a derisive snort. "Wait, you worked at Fun World? At a _ring toss_ game? When, and are there pictures of this?"

"Uh, _never mind that._ _"_ Ring Man coughed into his fist. "So, gotta know...what was Top Man's game? Is he smooth, or does he just have a great pick up line? I've been trying to figure that guy out, all I know is he kills it with the ladies."

Roll declined to comment on _that_. "Figures you losers would be hanging out," she said tartly, crossing her arm. "Where is that phoney anyway? I was looking forward to rearranging his face into something more appropriate."

"Hey, lay off! Top Man's a nice guy, and I think he kinda likes you. But he's had some problems in he past, or something. Plus, he knows Proto Man would _wreck the shit_ out of the first bot to lay a hand on you anyway."

"Proto Man would what…? Why?" Roll spluttered, annoyed. How far was Proto Man going to take this 'older brother' thing anyway? "I don't have time for this. I'm here for the Stealth Glider!"

Ring Man shrugged, powering on a Game Boy. "Knock yourself out, no one's going to stop you."

With a quick swap of weapons, Roll fired a circular saw at Ring Man's feet. He jumped with a curse, dropping the Game Boy, then he and Magnet Man fled toward the fire escape snickering.

Roll was about to go after them, then caught sight of the Stealth Glider resting on a pedestal at the other side of the lab and paused. _So this is the first in Mega Man_ _'_ _s new equipment, courtesy of Senator King._

She frowned down at the Stealth Glider, a knot building in her stomach. Then she strapped it on her back and hurried toward the open window.

* * *

Snake Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man were stationed outside of the campus's generator, Guts Man crouched on the floor, while Cut Man and Snake Man leaned against the wall, waiting.

While Snake Man was not very trusting of either Ring Man, Magnet Man, or Top Man, he was glad to leave them behind, finding it difficult to be in the same vicinity as Top Man. Ever since Top Man had returned to Skull Fortress with Roll's stolen I.D., Snake Man had felt a small twinge somewhere in his chest that he tried to write off as a lagging subroutine but knew (if he were more honest with himself) was actually jealousy. It was easier to distance himself from emotions that confused him and the robots who caused them than to face his real problem.

By a small consolation, Cut Man was making himself useful to Snake Man by listening and taking orders unlike any robot had before.

"Ha ha, the blue dweeb sure looked funny flying up into that forcefield, right Cut Man?" jeered Guts Man.

"Do you think Light's robots will attack again, Snake Man?" asked Cut Man, ignoring Guts Man.

"Dr. Wily mussst have thought ssso, or elssse he wouldn't have left usss behind to guard Light'sss Universssity. If anything happensss to thisss generator, the dronesss will power down and our enemiesss can essscape from the forsssefield."

Cut Man nodded earnestly. Guts Man looked back and forth between them, confused. "I'm bored, where's the action?" he grumbled sullenly, punching his palm.

"You want action? You got it!" called a voice they all knew and hated.

"That goes double for me!" called a second voice they didn't recognize.

A blast of golden plasma exploded at Guts Man's feet. He leapt up with an indignant yell as Mega Man and Kung Fu Bot charged toward them.

Snake Man darted away from the wall to meet them, Cut Man close behind. "Prepare for desssstruction, Mega Man!"

"Face it, Snake Man: first you tried to _be_ me, then you tried to _beat_ me, but you'll never be that good!" said Mega Man, catching a writhing _Search Snake_ that Snake Man had shot toward his face. "By the way, you really should get your doc to fix your hissing problem!"

But Snake Man was also dodging his blasts, his viridian armor fading into the campus shrubbery around him and making him harder to target. Meanwhile, the entirety of the remaining reprogrammed campus drones were converging upon them. The cheerbots headed straight for the tackle bots, leaping lightly upon their heads like pink gymnasts, confusing them into punching one another. Security drones were flying everywhere. Mega Man narrowly dodged Cut Man's head shear by ducking while _Search Snake_ dug savagely into his thigh, pulling out bits of titanium skin when Mega Man pulled it off by its tail. Guts Man had grabbed Kung Fu Bot by the arm and tossed him into the tennis courts. It was clear Kung Fu Bot and Mega Man would soon be overwhelmed.

A dark mass dropped from Edison Hall, arching gracefully upward just before it hit the ground. "I'll draw off fire!" shouted Roll as she cut between Mega Man, Kung Fu Bot, and the Robot Masters, singling out Snake Man from the group. "Get the other two!"

"You got it!" Mega Man called back.

* * *

As Roll flew amidst the cloud of security drones, she avoided using the Stealth Glider's invisibility mode in order to preserve its battery life for the final strike against Dr. Wily—but even without stealth, she had no problem evading damage.

 _This snake robot is the worst shot,_ Roll thought critically as she swooped down for a better shot at Snake Man, who was lurking beneath a row of white pines. The _Search Snakes_ seemed to think so too. They flew past Roll, ricocheted off Čapek Library's wall, and landed with a plop, shook their heads, then looked back reproachfully at Snake Man before slithering off into the laurel hedges. _It_ _'_ _s almost as if he_ _'_ _s purposely missing, but even Wily_ _'_ _s robots aren_ _'_ _t_ that _dumb_ _…_

Roll fired at Snake Man with the Stealth Glider's blaster. He flew twenty yards backward into the courtyard of the campus cafeteria. Snake Man quickly picked himself up from the table he had smashed into and fled. Roll smirked in satisfaction at his departure, then turned her attention back to the campus drones.

* * *

Dr. Light and Ramón crept carefully toward the generator, taking special care to avoid the robot battle raging around them. Ramón picked the padlocked gate of the chain lock fence that surrounded the small building, then he and Dr. Light slipped inside, unnoticed amidst the chaos.

* * *

While Mega Man was taking blasting apart security drones, Kung Fu Bot decided to take on Cut Man by himself. "And now for my triple-flip-super-roundhouse-kick!" he announced. He raised one of his legs above his head and began rotating around on the one still on the ground, looking a bit like a figure skater.

Cut Man, who harbored a secret admiration for Kung Fu, was not impressed as Kung Fu Bot whirled past him and crashed into a massive oak tree. "What a klutz bot!"

The oak tree snapped at its base, fell over, and crushed Cut Man underneath its weight.

Kung Fu Bot was sprawled on the ground, his internal stabilizers clearly discombobulated.

"Nice going Kung Fu Bot, you beat Cut Man," Mega Man congratulated, kneeling down next to Kung Fu Bot.

"Hey, Mega punk! let me show you want I do ta wise bot show up punks like you!" shouted Guts Man, pitching one of the tacklebots' iron blocking dummies. Mega Man shoved Kung Fu bot out of the way, and was flattened into the turf. "That's why they call me Guts Man!"

Pinned beneath the heavy cylinder, Mega Man struggled to free his plasma cannon. But as he took aim at Guts Man, his blaster merely fizzled weakly, unable to fire plasma. _Doc_ _'_ _s wiring job didn_ _'_ _t hold long enough, I_ _'_ _m out of plasma power!_ he thought as Guts Man encroached upon him with arms outstretched.

Rush zoomed in over Mega Man's head, dropping the powered down body of Cut Man to the ground next to him.

"Thanks boy!" Mega Man called, copying Cut Man's weapon. He fired a Rolling Cutter at a flag pole behind Guts Man, slicing off its finial. The basketball sized orb of steel fell with a clunk on Guts Man's head. Stunned, he fell onto his back and lay prone.

With a strong heave that strained his left shoulder, Mega Man lifted the blocking dummy long enough to wriggle out before it dropped again with a solid thud. Above, the forcefield dissipated. At the same time, the campus drones powered down, slumping over on the ground and falling from the sky. The cheerbots chanted victoriously on the pile of dismembered tackle-bots. Even Painter Bot was in the mood to celebrate, and was drawing a rude caricature of Dr. Wily on the side of the stadium wall.

 _Good job, Dr. Light and Ram_ _ó_ _n!_ Mega Man thought. He was about to join them at the generator when Top Man darted out from a building into the open, evidently thinking the coast was clear and making a break for it. He nearly ran straight into Mega Man and they both started, Mega Man leveling his blaster with Top Man's chest.

"Well look who's in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Top Man froze, holding up his arms. "Don't shoot, I'm unarmed!"

"Yeah, I've heard that one before," said Mega Man, firing a _Rolling Cutter._

A faster _Ring Boomerang_ whistled through the air _,_ knocking the scissor sheer off course.

"Hey, knock if off! He's unarmed!" shouted Ring Man as he and Magnet Man rushed to Top Man's side.

Mega Man hesitated. "Oh shit, really?"

Ring Man caught _Ring Boomerang_ as it rebounded. "Jeese, didn't think the good guys would shoot an unarmed bot. You should be on our team."

Mega Man recalled Proto Man saying something something similar to him once, and bristled. "He threw me into a forcefield!"

"It's okay Mega, I've been wanting to shoot him all day!" called Roll. She swept in from above, firing several times at Top Man with the Stealth Glider's blaster.

The lasers were fast, streaking from several hundred yards away to the ground in less than a second. Top Man reacted instantly. He sprang into the air, his arms collecting in, his legs open in a forward 'V', his back arched as he spun midair like an astronaut in an aerotrim, twisting in one fluid motion inside the space between criss-crossing lasers. He landed lightly on one foot, unscathed, the lawn scorched behind him.

"Woah, smooth moves Top!" said Ring Man, his brows raised in awe.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Top Man muttered in a _just-drop-it_ tone.

"Seriously, that was rad," Ring Man persisted. "I thought you were laser dust for sure. Where were you programmed to do all of that?"

Top Man didn't have a chance to answer, as Roll wasn't about to let him get away with that so easily. She had turned around for another pass, her laser still trained on Top Man.

Magnet Man made a raking gesture with his hands. Long mole-hill like lines appearing on the lawn before splitting apart as the sprinkler system ripped up from the ground. The pipes wrapped around Roll and Mega Man like a net. Magnet Man held both hands in front of him, palms forward and fingers splayed, rolling the metal ball across the down the running track like a giant tumbleweed.

Ring Man whistled. "Dude."

Magnet Man shrugged.

"We splittin' now?"

"Yeah."

The Robot Masters took off across campus (Guts Man carrying Cut Man) as Roll and Mega Man untangled themselves from the wet knot of leaking pipes.

"I keep forgetting those two actually _do_ have master weapons," quipped Mega Man after they were free.

"Shouldn't we go after them?" asked Roll.

"If you want to go after them, be my guest, but my blaster is still on the fritz and I used the last of my _Rolling Cutter_ energy cutting us out of that mess."

"The good news is the glider works," said Roll, shrugging out of the Stealth Glider. "You better take it since your blaster is down."

The Stealth Glider was triangular in shape and as tall as Mega Man on its longest side, but much lighter than it looked, like a kite. As Dr. Light promised, it came equipped with an external blaster arm in addition to a mauve wind visor. On its back, Mega Man saw, etched neatly on the back with gold paint, a bold serifed "K" with a sweeping leg. "K" for King. Mega Man smiled to himself and strapped the Stealth Glider on, then caught a funny look on Roll's face.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Roll said, turning away quickly. "I'll hold off the Bad Bots here while you stop Wily. You better hurry."

Rush had already transformed into a jet board was waiting to carry him up to altitude. Mega Man shot Roll a puzzled glance before climbing aboard. They jetted away from campus and into the night air, the glow of New York City before them.

"They're going after City Hall, boy!" Mega Man muttered as they drew close. "I better make my move. Time to hit stealth mode."

Mega Man leapt from Rush. The wind caught against the glider's wings, holding him aloft as he pressed the button on its belt, disappearing from sight.

* * *

The Skullker hovered at the edge of New York City.

"Be prepared," Dr. Wily told Proto Man. "Mega Man will be here soon."

"You sure? I don't see him anywhere on our radar, and last I saw he was in no condition to fight."

"He'll be using that slipshod Stealth Glider prototype of which I found schematics for on Light's computer. Use these." Dr. Wily shoved a heavy pair of lilac goggles into Proto Man's hands. "Whoever said Light was a better scientist than me is a complete dunderhead! He hides one robot, I hide a whole fortress. Light's stealth suit is a piece of rubbish; it was only too easy for me to build a countermeasure. I want you to humiliate him." Dr. Wily narrowed his eyes at the glittering city that lay ahead, the white marbled walls of City Hall shining like a pearl at its center. "We're over the target, Proto. Nothing can stop us now."

"Yeah, I'll make sure of that." Proto Man slipped the purple goggles over his visor. Aside from a tunnel vision effect produced by the circular lens, they did not distract from his view. A digital targeting HUD of white pencil-thin lines criss-crossed over his vision like a spider web. Above the outer boroughs of the city, it had drawn a humanoid specter, growing steadily larger. "Your stealth detection lenses paid off, Wily. Mega Man's headed this way."

Proto Man got up, slinging a jetpack onto his back. Dr. Wily cast a beady eye over him critically.

"You're going to burn up that rag you wear around your neck."

Proto Man smirked over his shoulder at Dr. Wily, then closed the door to the cockpit, crossed the empty fuselage, and slid open the back door.

A loud buffet of air instantly pressed up against the audio-processors on his helmet, tugging at his scarf. Only hours ago, he had felt the brightly-painted walls of Dr. Lights laboratory closing around him and was glad to be out in the open air again. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel newfound respect for Dr. Light. He was finally getting the way things were, the way Proto Man wanted them to be.

He stepped out of the back of Skullker, the darkness of the cool late summer eve engulfing him as refreshingly as plunging into the ocean.

* * *

The wind visor tinted the clear night in a faint rosy hue. Mega Man flew with his back to the sky, the city rushing below, his body relaxed beneath the wings of the Stealth Glider. It was different than riding on Rush, he really felt like he was riding the wind. The strange sensation was accompanied by powerful feeling of security knowing he was invisible (though looking back at his feet and seeing nothing there was disconcerting). Taking back the anti-gravity machine from Dr. Wily would be a snap—

A bright blue flash of light exploded against Mega Man's chest, knocking him backward. He dropped past ten stories of a nearby skyscraper before rolling midair, straightening out so the glider's wings would catch the wind again and carry him upward.

 _Are you kidding me?_ Mega Man thought, squinting around the plasma blast's source. The radio on his helmet was picking up a signal, and he tuned in.

"Like my cool shades, Mega?" came Proto Man's voice through his audio processors. "They're specially made to see you!"

Ahead of him, Proto Man was hovering midair on the propulsion of his jetpack, his scarf whipping wildly above him, his blaster drawn.

Mega Man grinned, and spoke back across the radio. "Impressive. Like my new blaster? It's specially made to fry you!"

Mega Man fired back, the Stealth Glider's laser a thin, yellowish beam that zapped nearly instantly between the distance of his blaster to Proto Man's chest fifty yards away. Proto Man's back slammed into the office building behind him, then he tumbled head first toward the lamp-lit street below. Mega Man dove after him.

"It wouldn't be fun if destroying you were too easy," came Proto Man's voice. Proto Man did a flip midair. A blast swept past Mega Man's shoulder and into the face of a corporate highrise behind him.

Sheets of marble hailed down upon Mega Man, weighing down the Stealth Glider's wings. He fell several stories head first into the flat concrete roof of a bank. Rubbing grit out of his eyes, Mega Man quickly knocked the marble blocks off his back and took a running leap off the building to catch an air current again as Proto Man fired down upon him.

"My thoughts exactly," said Mega Man. He banked sharply to weave behind a long commercial building, putting distance between himself and Proto Man as he caught his breath and regained altitude. "Glad you're awake. I'd rather fight you then bring you in powered down."

"Can't imagine why, you're never going to win…"

"Never? You really think I'll _never_ beat you?"

Proto Man darted out from up and over the building. "Haven't yet!" he said, firing.

Expecting this, Mega Man barrel rolled out of the way, striking Proto Man with the Stealth Glider's laser as he faced upward. "But I'm getting closer all the time," he said brightly as Proto Man crashed into the brick side of a bakery.

Mega Man pulled ahead, scanning around for Dr. Wily as he waited for Proto Man to catch up. He could see the Skullker's silhouette against a cloud, slowly creeping into the heart of New York City. He glanced back at Proto Man, who was jetting, his hand straitening the purple goggles on his helmet.

"So, you _do_ have eyes behind your visor!" Mega Man called back. "I was starting to wonder if you were hiding a third eye. You once told me we weren't identical…What color are they? Blue? Brown? Green? Pink?"

"Don't know what you mean, the goggles are just for show."

They flew low through the Jupiter Street, which was crammed with gridlocked traffic. Both Mega Man and Proto Man held their fire as they flew over the hoods of cars, their headlights blazing into their faces. Someone shouted at them from the front seat of a slate-gray SUV. Proto Man took an abrupt turn down a side street, streaking upward like a rocket as he gained altitude. Mega Man followed, but was taken by surprise when Proto Man stopped short and fired. Mega Man careened off course, crashing downward through seven balconies of an apartment complex before his decent slowed.

"Hey, can you knock it off with the property damage?" asked Mega Man, brushing away soil from a planter that had smashed on his head. He kicked off from the eight balcony to regain altitude. "You're trying to shoot _me,_ remember? _"_

Mega Man fired back at Proto Man, who was hovering in an unpredictable, dragonfly-like pattern on the other side of the street. The laser missed him, striking a giant martini neon sign hanging over a bar, which exploded in a shower of sparks.

Proto Man snickered. "Hate to break it to you, but you're causing almost as much collateral."

"Not from a pedestrian's viewpoint. It'll look like you've gone haywire and are fighting yourself."

"Letting someone else take the rap for your wrong-doing…now _that_ _'_ _s_ thinking like a criminal."

They pulled away from the buildings into the river that cut through the city, weaving under bridges and between docked barges. Plasma fire and laser blasts rebounded off of the cement walls and fizzling into the murky water. The river cast a warm, fishy-smelling draft up at them. Mega Man was aware that he had two distinct disadvantages in this fight: firstly that he was fighting in Proto Man's favorite element: the air, and secondly, that the jetpack had better maneuverability then the Stealth Glider. Mega Man felt like a paper airplane being chased by a hornet. The best strategy was to dunk Proto Man into the river, waterlogging the jetpack.

But Proto Man seemed to guess his strategy as soon as Mega Man had thought it up. He flew low over the river, skimming the black rippling water with the toes of his boots, before pealing away in a tight loop back to the city, leaving Mega Man with no choice but to pull the Stealth Glider around in a wide arc and follow.

Proto Man gained distance from Mega Man, flying with the recklessness of someone whose passion for thrill-seeking outweighed any sense of self-preservation. He darted over the rails of a monorail, just narrowly missing a speeding train. Mega Man, with no time to repeat his brother's maneuver, dipped underneath the monorail, his wings jostling against the suspension beams.

 _Show off,_ Mega Man thought as he regained control. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Skullker decend upon City Hall. He was running out of time. He might need to wind Proto Man up a bit to get him off his game. "Gotta say, pretty low blow ruining Dr. Light's first day of class," he said into his radio.

"Attacking Light's college...not my idea," Proto Man admitted, firing a shot at Mega Man.

Mega Man pulled up, the plasma blast scorching a long burn into his left wing. "Then sending in Top Man to string along Roll!" he continued.

"That wasn't my idea either, that was _his._ Worst new recruit ever, I'm trying to ditch him but the bot's latched on like a leech."

Mega Man took aim at Proto Man's jetpack straps. "He's not one of Wily's? Who built him?" he asked, firing.

Proto Man took a sharp turn into a narrow alleyway between two buildings, the laser striking the side of a department store. "No clue."

Unable to follow, Mega Man soared above the buildings, passing over the brightly colored umbrellas of a rooftop bistro, the candles flickering from the wind caused by an invisible mass. "You don't run background checks on your new 'recruits'?"

"No, we just take walk-ins from off the street now." Oddly, Proto Man's retort sounded more annoyed than sarcastic.

"So Wily went through all this trouble just to steal a building?"

"It's a demonstration, meant to demoralize the humans. You know, so they lose their will to fight back when the robots invade the city and whatever."

"Is that what Wily told you, or does he actually believe stealing City Hall will give him control over the city?"

A burst of plasma exploded on the back of the Stealth Glider, causing Mega Man to pitch forward. Proto Man had doubled back for a surprise attack, and was now chasing Mega Man. "Even I don't know everything that goes on in that funny head of his."

Mega Man circled down through another cross section, leading Proto Man to a different section of the city. "Thought you'd have learned your lesson after the island about blindly following Wily's orders."

"I don't blindly follow orders, I just don't—"

"Care, I know, that's your whole life mantra. Let me ask you something…Ever consider _why_ nothing matters to you?"

Mega Man knew he had cut to the root of the problem. There was a brief hiss of static on the radio, which fizzled out, as if Proto Man had been about to say something, but the words had gotten lost in transmission. It was unusual for Proto Man not to have a retort. Mega Man had posed a question he wasn't expecting, one that challenged Proto Man's most usual deflection. Mega Man sensed Proto Man was closing off a bit, his mood shifting to uncertainty and distrust—unwilling to talk, unwilling to share.

Mega Man smiled a bit to himself. "Must be nice. I use to be carefree too with my quiet life at Dr. Light's lab. Working on experiments, day after day—"

"Did all that really make you happy?"

There was a low rumble in the distance. City Hall had been uprooted from its foundation and was drifting up toward the Skullker, small bits of debris raining down onto the sidewalk below. Mega Man pushed it to the back of his mind, focusing on taking out Proto Man first. "I could have been. Pretty peaceful life, being a lab assistant, helping Dr. Light make the world a better place. But then I met you, and now I spend all my time making sure you and Dr. Wily don't blow it up twice a month—"

"Hey, don't blame this on me—if you _really_ hate being a hero so much, take control of your own destiny and quit."

"You don't understand. You're in the way of the life I want, so I'm going to get in the way of the life _you_ want."

Mega Man flew into the framework of Skytower Skyscraper's third construction, layers of concrete floors suspended by super steel support beams. Mega Man leveled out to avoid clipping the Stealth Glider's wings in the confined space. Proto Man followed him, but was keeping his distance, flying parallel to Mega Man on his right.

"Mega—being a lab assistant really isn't much of a life—"

"Maybe not to you, but...at least one of us has a family."

Proto Man's voice tightened. "You can't go back to being a lab assistant. It's not in the cards for any of us—you, me, Roll—we're advanced androids. We're meant for better things."

"This is something we're never going to agree on, is it?" asked Mega Man brightly. He rounded a corner sharply and up through a stairwell opening in the ceiling to lose Proto Man. "—But if you hate lab assistants so much, maybe you should start thinking about _your_ future. Your career as Wily's 'second-in-command' almost ended tonight."

This _really_ seemed to irritate Proto Man. Mega Man landed lightly on the forty-seventh floor's scaffolding, flattening to the iron beams to hide. He could hear the whine of Proto Man's jetpack slowing as he weaved through the incomplete floors of Skytower Skyscraper, searching.

"No one tells me what to do with my future but _me._ I'm a better fighter than you."

"No, you're not. We're equal. It's your fault, really. You helped me become who I am."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That I only have you to thank—but I'm not going to fight you right now."

Mega Man could see Proto Man jetting out into the street beyond Skytower Skyscraper, his head shifting from side-to-side, searching, apparently thinking Mega Man was trying to back out of the fight.

"You don't have a choice…"

"No, _you_ don't have a choice."

Mega Man dove off the scaffolding like a hawk, silently closing the distance before Proto Man detected his position. His fingers raked the back of Proto Man's helmet, yanking off the goggles. In the same movement, he fired into Proto Man's back with a carefully premeditated shot, the force driving Proto Man into the blue rectangle of a rooftop hotel pool across the street. Proto Man hit the water with a tall splash, and his frequency cut out from Mega Man's radio.

 _Okay, that_ _'_ _s winning_ _…_ _sorta,_ Mega Man thought as he soared away, climbing up above the tallest skyscraper's spires and turning his sights on the Skullker. _Now to take back City Hall._

* * *

"Yessssss, I've succeeded! I have control over the city at last!" Dr. Wily cackled, wringing his hands gleefully as he towed City Hall away from New York City.

A soft bump reverberated through the bottom of the Skullker under Dr. Wily's feet, as though a large weight had been removed. Suspicious, he sprang up from his chair to peer out one of the Skullker's oblong windshields. Outside, City Hall was bobbing midair ahead of him, drifting back toward the city.

"Mega Man! That's my building! Give it back!" he spat, pounding his fists against the control panel.

But, in his haste to enact his coup of Light University, Dr. Wily had neglected to repair the Skullker from their fight the day before. And, as it was nearly impossible for him to retaliate against an enemy he couldn't see, Mega Man had no no trouble blasting a hole through the power cables of the Skullker's laser canon. Defenseless, Dr. Wily spun the Skullker around and zipped away in an erratic zig-zag pattern, cursing Mega Man's CPU to suffer a massive logic failure.

* * *

It took several hours to reinstate City Hall. After helping the New York City construction robots realign the building to its original foundation, Mega Man flew back to campus with the anti-gravity machine, feeling exhausted, sore, but cheerful as the sun rose over the ocean in the east.

Mayor Hill had returned to campus early that morning, and was talking to Dr. Light on the dew-speckled lawn outside Edison Hall. After stowing the anti-gravity machine and the Stealth Glider in the science lab, Mega Man joined them.

"I can't thank you enough, Mega Man, for rescuing City Hall from the clutches of Dr. Wily," Mayor Hill said enthusiastically after shaking Mega Man's hand.

"Hey, no big deal. I was just doing what I'm programmed to do."

"Speaking of 'programmed,' I've reprogrammed all my students' robots to serve mankind again," spoke up Dr. Light. "As soon they have finished repairing campus again, classes should resume as normal."

Mega Man wondered where Roll was. He shook Mayor Hill's hand once more, then excused himself and struck out across campus to look for her.

He found Roll behind Vaucanson Hall, sitting alone in the shade of a small garden, gazing pensively at a rose bush with wilted blooms. She looked up with a guilty start as Mega Man approached, then sprang up and rushed forward, giving him a fierce hug.

"I knew you'd make it back in one piece!"

"Ow...ow...easy, I'm in a lot of pain…"

Roll let him go, the corner of her lip twitching into a half smile.

"Did you get the Robot Masters?" Mega Man asked, rubbing his sore left shoulder.

Her half-smile vanished. Roll looked down at the mulch. "No, they got away."

Roll seemed pretty frustrated. Mega Man felt bad.

"If it makes you feel better, I couldn't arrest Dr. Wily or Proto Man either," he said.

"Yeah, but least you got to save the day...again…"

Mega Man noticed the ice in Roll's tone, and was about to ask about it, when she changed the subject abruptly.

"It's too bad neither of us caught that slimy Top Man though. It gives me the creeps just knowing he's still out there."

"You're telling me. I still have score to settle with him for 'tampering with your emotion circuits.'"

"I'm over it, really," Roll said imperiously. "Maybe the bot for me hasn't been built yet."

"Maybe. Just promise me one thing...next time you like a robot, check if he's on Wily's side _before_ asking him out on a date, deal?"

Roll smiled in spite of herself. "Deal."

* * *

Later, Mega Man headed up alone to Dr. Light's classroom. It looked a bit like a small bomb had gone off, with chairs toppled over and chunks missing from the walls. _F_ _ü_ _r Elise_ was playing lightly from the cd player on Dr. Light's desk. Dr. Light was crouched on the floor, placing textbooks back into a shelf which had been knocked over during the battle. He looked up as Mega Man walked in, smiling.

"There you are—Ramón just left. He's taking the day off from the electronic store to get some sleep. The Mayor and I will vouch for him if he needs a reference for his manager."

"Good thinking, we could all use some shut eye after last night."

Dr. Light chuckled. "By the way, I didn't get a chance to ask—the Stealth Glider worked then?"

"Well, almost. The glider part is great, but Wily built a pair of goggles that could spot me even while in stealth mode."

Mega Man handed Dr. Light the pair of purple goggles.

"Not to worry, just a few adjustments, and next time Dr. Wily won't find it so easy to build a countermeasure," Dr. Light said cheerfully, pocketing them in his labcoat.

"So, first day of classes are postponed until next week?"

Dr. Light nodded as he dusted off the jacket of _The Idea of Freedom_. "I told everyone to go home while I reinforce the campus defenses. Now that I know how Dr. Wily got his robots in, I know what extra safeguards I will need to keep them out."

"Well, I think you showed Proto Man today. He'll think twice before attacking again."

Mega Man regretted his words the moment he had said them.

Dr. Light paused, staring down at the textbook in his hands, then slowly pushed it into place, his hands falling away from the bookshelf. "You may recall I talked to Proto Man back on Wily's island," he said finally, his voice low. "I wanted to persuade him to leave Wily and return home, his _real_ home. But you know what he told me? He told me…he told me he came up with some of Wily's schemes, and that he enjoys enacting them."

"I know," Mega Man replied, his voice equally low.

Dr. Light met Mega Man's eyes briefly, then looked away. "I am his creator, I made him the way he is."

"Hey, c'mon, don't say that…we have free will," said Mega Man gently. "Proto Man's in control of his actions, not you."

"He's still my responsibility." Dr. Light got up from the floor then sank into his desk chair, sighing deeply.

An uncomfortable silence lapsed between them. Mega Man could tell Dr. Light was miserable and tired, but the conversation had been left open with the same tantalizing allure of a forbidden door left unlocked.

"Dr. Light, I have something to tell you," Mega Man began tentatively before his opening slammed shut. "A few months back, I…went looking through your journals…the ones you keep hidden. I read the one you kept when you had created Proto."

Dr. Light looked up at him, shocked.

"I was looking for an edge over him—" Mega Man explained in a rush, "—But I didn't want to ask—I know how hard it is for you to talk about him, I—Are you mad?"

Dr. Light stared at him for a moment, then looked away. "No, of course not, Rock. You deserve to know everything you can about Proto Man. I think I'm even glad in a way," he answered slowly. "You see, I would have shared the journal myself if I thought my memoirs could help…but, as it is, I saw no point in burdening you with details of this sad affair. Now that you've read them I can say, selfishly, it's nice to no longer be alone in the mystery. I'm afraid you weren't able to find an edge over him?"

"No," Mega Man agreed, "But I'm sorry you went through all that. I could tell that you cared about him."

"I think about him every day," Dr. Light admitted. "You and Roll remind me of him, in small ways…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "But it was different with him."

"You mean because you didn't have a father-son relationship with him as you do with me."

Dr. Light's face tightened. He looked ten years older. "Of course he would have been my son—he _is_ my son, but—"

"He doesn't consider you his father," completed Mega Man. "Don't beat yourself up over this, Dr. Light. I know you'd do anything to have things any other way."

Dr. Light closed his eyes. "I failed him. He's gotten into so much trouble since he left my lab with the bomber suit…If I could only get to him before the authorities and bring him home, then, even if it's impossible to convince him to change his ways, he can be just Proto again, unable to contribute to Wily's destruction, nor in any danger himself."

"I want to get to him before the authorities too, but I don't think keeping him prisoner in the lab like a permanently grounded teenager will work," Mega Man broke in. "He won't think we're doing him any favors, and he won't go back to being a lab assistant, he's made that clear. And even if we _did_ apprehend him, there'd be no way to get him to stay put for long. He'll find a way to run away again, and the rift between him and the rest of us will be even worse than before."

"I don't know what else to do. He's absolutely unrepentant for his crimes." Dr. Light looked up at Mega Man. "I love him, he is as much my creation as you and Roll are, but…I fear there isn't any good in him."

Mega Man could sense the weight on his father's shoulders, the guilt in his voice, the buried pain, confusion, and helplessness in his gaze.

He placed a hand on Dr. Light's arm. "There's nothing harder than fighting someone you love as an enemy. It might be the hardest thing we ever have to deal with," Mega Man said, meaning every word. Then he smiled. "But…I wouldn't count Proto out as a lost cause yet. He'll come around."

Dr. Light's expression hardened. "There's nothing forcing him to stay with Wily."

"No, there isn't," Mega Man agreed. "But he will though, in time."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because he and I want the same thing: to fight together on the same side. He thinks fighting for Wily makes him happy. Maybe it does for now, but it's an empty happiness because Proto doesn't really care about taking over the world. It's all just a big distraction for him. There are some things he won't realize are important until he loses them. He's…" Mega Man hesitated, at a loss for how to describe the true reason behind Proto's apathy and distance without making Dr. Light's feel worse than he already did. "I will get through to him," he promised instead. "I know I can."

"Rock, I can't ask you to do that. Not after what happened at Washington, please…"

"Listen to me, Father. I may not know any more about Proto's past than you do, but I do know he's an advanced android and your creation, just like me. Because of self-determination, Proto had the choice to become a crook, and he did. But that also means he has the potential to become a hero if he put his mind to it. Deep down, he values family over everything else. He just needs to _realize_ it, then he won't be able to fight against us anymore. Proto may not be innocent, but he's not _completely_ evil, and that's a start. I _want_ to get through to him, because I don't want to be fighting my only brother forever, and I know he won't want to either."

A glimmer of hope crept into Dr. Light's face. "Do you really think you can?"

Mega Man smiled ruefully at the tiled floor. "He talks to me. Not willingly about the serious stuff, but I'm not going to give up on him. I won't go easy on him, but I won't give up on him. And in the meantime, I won't let Wily win either."

He looked back at Dr. Light, his smile faltering as he realized there were tears in Dr. Light's eyes.

"You've grown so much," said Dr. Light tremulously. "I still think of you all as children. Maybe that has been my mistake all along!"

Emotion overcame Dr. Light, and he buried his face in his hands.

"Hey, of course you still think of us as children, we will always be your children," said Mega Man quickly, pulling Dr. Light into a hug.

Dr. Light hugged him back tightly, his shoulders shaking. Despite his words, Mega Man was worried. He knew the relationship between Dr. Light and Proto was not good. Roll's recent behavior was also ominous. There were bound to be obstacles ahead...

* * *

Dr. Wily had picked up Proto Man and the Robot Masters up before returning to Skull Fortress. After landing in the hangar, Dr. Wily stormed off to his lab without a word to any of them.

Proto Man was glad Dr. Wily didn't want to deliberate their most recent failure. For some reason, he felt off while fighting Mega Man, and was annoyed at both Mega Man and the lack of understanding between them. His scarf now carried a sharp chlorine smell. Tired and angry, and wanting nothing more than to be alone, Proto Man left the smoking Skullker shortly after Dr. Wily, where he ran into Top Man, who had tarried while the rest of the Robot Masters had filed off hastily to the armory.

"Oh uh, hey Proto Man, how's it going?" said Top Man, avoiding his eyes. He looked like he dearly wished for the ability to teleport away.

Proto Man could have forgotten this Robot Master existed. His foul mood coupled with his irritation at the unwelcome reemergence.

"Hey, how come you came back after I told you to beat it?"

"I was still under Wily's orders, right? And you guys were in trouble. You wouldn't really blast the bot who saved you from getting captured, right?"

Proto Man was reluctantly mollified. "I'll let it slide this time…just so long as you don't forget what'll happen if you go anywhere near my sister."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Top Man said smoothly. Perhaps sensing that he had dodged Proto Man's wrath, and feeling encouraged by this, Top Man added, "You'll have to explain this sibling thing to me sometime. I don't get it."

"Same models…not much to get really."

"There's more to it than that. You wish you were closer to your siblings, huh?"

This struck a nerve. Top Man had once again displayed an unexpectedly acute sense of perception toward Proto Man's feelings. But Proto Man hid any reaction, asking in a bland voice, "What makes you say that?"

Top Man shrugged. "Wish I had a brother or sister…but, like I said, one of a kind."

"Don't. My brother is a pain in the ass."

Proto Man paused after saying this. The words had tumbled out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop them, and it bothered him. Top Man was somehow prying into a buried but deeply rooted loneliness and drawing it out to the forefront of Proto Man's mind. At the same time, he could tell Top Man was trying to establish a connection with him. He suspected Top Man was trying to figure out how to play him so he could worm into his good graces as he had already done with Dr. Wily. "Go where Cut Man and Guts Man went to report to the armory," he said finally. "Ask for Crash Man, he'll get you set up."

Top Man wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Aren't you coming too?" he asked.

"Why would I go to the armory? I'm not a Robot Master."

"I dunno...to hang out with the rest of us."

"I'm second-in-command, I got things to do. You'll be called when Wily's got another job for you, until then just hang tight. Think you can manage that?"

Top Man's eyes lit up at this news. "Absolutely!" he said, and sauntered obediently off, a slight bounce in his stride.

Proto Man watched him go. The vague familiarity of Top Man's face still nagged at him. But what bothered him more was Top Man's uncanny ability to read him in casual conversation. A good con man could read their victims before playing them. Perhaps Proto Man had underestimated Top Man.

Still, Top Man himself read as desperate rather than dangerous, and the con he was attempting to play was obvious: anything to stay in Dr. Wily's army, and anything to deflect direct interrogation about his past. Why Top Man was desperate to hide anything at all Proto Man could also easily deduce: the truth would jeopardize his stay at Skull Fortress. It was Top Man's one true fear, and therefore his weakness.

And Proto Man relaxed, deciding to let Top Man carry on with his con as he headed up a winding set of utility stairs into Skull Fortress.

For Proto Man knew Top Man wasn't smart enough to keep his secret safe for long.

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

As Mega Man continues to gain new battle equipment from Senator King's funding, Roll becomes frustrated that she may never be more than a sidekick and looks for an opportunity to change her life. Over at Skull Fortress, Proto Man discovers the shocking truth about Top Man shortly before embarking on a new mission to build an armada—but it's never smooth sailing out in international waters…tune in next time for _Terror of the Seven Seas!_


	4. Terror of the Seven Seas: Part 1

****

**Episode 15: Terror of the Seven Seas**

It had been a week since the siege of Light University. Dr. Wily was busy programming new mission orders into a contingent of attack-bots in Skull Fortress's hangar. Proto Man was supposed to be helping with preparations to leave for a remote base on the Alaskan coastline, but went to the lower level of Skull Fortress to look for Elec Man instead.

He found him walking briskly away from the armory, and fell into step beside him.

Elec Man glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "What do you want?" he asked shortly. "Dr. Wily just ordered me to meet Ring Man in the lab, then to report to the hanger. He must have come up with another half-baked scheme now…shouldn't you all be away?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You're one of the lucky ones coming with us."

Elec Man closed his eyes and sighed.

"Wily figured you'd appreciate some fresh air and time away from Skull Fortress," Proto Man continued. "And we need an engineer of your technical skill on the crew."

He had omitted that he had specifically asked Dr. Wily to include Elec Man on this mission. Though Elec Man loathed every bit of Dr. Wily's schemes (a staunchly loyal Syndicate robot in spirit even if his reprogrammed obedience protocols dictated otherwise), Proto Man felt Elec Man was the closest of all the Robot Masters to himself in terms of ability, intelligence, and programming. In fact, had Elec Man been programmed with self-determination, he figured they'd be equals. Proto Man had a few doubts of his own about Dr. Wily's latest scheme. A _lot_ could go wrong, and he wanted Elec Man's opinion.

Elec Man was immediately suspicious. "...Where are we going?"

"The Pacific Ocean."

" _Where_ in the Pacific Ocean?"

"Dunno, the middle I guess. All over it."

"You mean away from the American coastline? You do understand what that entails?"

"Eh, I don't read the law, I just break it. You know that."

"But you know how _risky_ that is—"

"Wily's got it covered. It's a really good idea, one of Wily's better ones—alright, it's a little crazy too, but most of his plans are…here, look yourself…" Proto Man rolled out a blueprint he had 'borrowed' from Dr. Wily's drafting desk and handed it to Elec Man. "Is it possible?"

Elec Man scanned the ink drawing heavy with diagrams and measurements, his eyes narrowing. It a full minute for him to process the data, perhaps due to its complexity combined with illegibility of Dr. Wily's handwritten notes. "It's possible…but a bit excessive, don't you think?"

"That's how Wily rolls…'sides, you're the one who's worried."

"But—"

Proto Man knew Elec Man would automatically protest and cut him off. " _Relax,_ you're going to be with Wily and I, and it's not like you can't look out for yourself. You're coming and that's final. You know the stakes if we get caught out there…Do your job and you'll be taken care of."

Elec Man hesitated. He was eyeing Dr. Wily's cross-hatch illustration of ocean waves. "There's one other thing…" he began, lowering his voice.

Proto Man was getting impatient. "Will it jeopardize Dr. Wily's chances at becoming the first dictator of four oceans?"

"Not exactly—"

"Then I don't want to hear it."

Elec Man fell silent for a moment, still frowning at the blueprint. "Do you really think six Robot Masters and a horde of Robo-drones can take over the world?" he asked finally, handing back the blueprint.

Proto Man shrugged, rolling up the blueprint and tucking it under his arm. "Wily seems to think so, so sure, why not?"

They had arrived at the laboratory. Ring Man was waiting for Elec Man next to the duplitron Dr. Wily used to make false student I.D.s for Light University.

"Take off your helmet and sit there," Ring Man said, pointing at a chair in front of a screen.

Elec Man did this, then winced at the unexpected flash from the duplitron's camera.

"Okay…can I get one where you don't look like a temp who'd like to slip cyanide in his boss's coffee?" asked Ring Man as he typed commands on the duplitron.

Elec Man was already replacing his helmet. "What's the picture for?"

"Fake I.D. card. Wily is having me make them," answered Ring Man. Proto Man was a little surprised that Ring Man was actually doing his job, though he suspected this was the bare minimum Ring Man needed to do to avoid being ordered into other more strenuous work. "Says it's for the next mission or whatever. Just gotta fix it up a little bit in Paint…then, voila." He handed Elec Man a freshly printed military security badge.

"If _you_ made this, it's worthless," said Elec Man, dropping the card on the work table as though it was a spent tissue. He strode out of the room, annoyed. "Besides, I won't _need_ it."

"Um, you're supposed to take that…whatever." Ring Man shrugged at Proto Man. "Oh, 'sup Proto Man. Does Wily want you to have one of these too?"

"Nah, carrying identification isn't my style either."

He glanced down at the discarded I.D. Then a sudden chill passed through Proto Man, as though a bucket of ice had slipped through his circuits.

He had seen Elec Man helmetless before, hundreds of times. The dangerous ex-Syndicate android's face was almost as familiar to Proto Man as Dr. Wily's or Mega Man's…

…And he had just met another android with a strikingly similar face.

Without another word to Ring Man, Proto Man tossed the blueprints next to the I.D. to collect later and stalked back toward the armory.

* * *

He wasn't difficult to find. In the short time he had been at Skull Fortress, Top Man had become rather popular. Crystal Man and a few of the other Robot Masters were attempting to coax him into a game of poker with them.

"—Sorry, I don't play. I'm really unlucky," Top Man protested with a helpless grin.

"Then you should definitely play, haha!" pressed Air Man, slapping him on the back.

"Hey…Top Man. Can I see you in back for a sec?" Proto Man called over.

The group silenced instantly at the sound of Proto Man's voice. Top Man looked a little surprised to be singled out by Proto Man, but answered instantly. "Sure thing, Boss."

The other Robot Masters parted way, looking curious as Proto Man lead Top Man out of the armory and deep into to a dark section of Skull Fortress's lower level that even Dr. Wily's drones rarely patrolled: the manufactory.

If Top Man had any questions about where they were going, he kept them to himself—instead, he followed Proto Man with the same cheerful obedience of a dog on a walk through a park. Proto Man kept his stance relaxed, pretending to be listening to Top Man's idle smalltalk, meanwhile his rapt attention was on every footstep behind him as they echoed off the metal walls, his pulsar pulse racing. He couldn't drop his guard for a second, he didn't know what the other robot was truly capable of, and it could mean the difference between life and death.

After crossing through a cavernous production facility alive with the humming of machinery, Proto Man threw open the door of a small chamber, waving Top Man inside. Top Man gazed curiously at a closed circular release hatch in the chamber's floor as Proto Man shut the heavy super-steel iron door behind them. Then, while Top Man's back was still turned to him, Proto Man clocked him on the head.

Top Man staggered backward from the blow, clutching his helmet. "What are you—"

Proto Man struck him harder, knocking him down. "Who do you work for?"

"Huh?—Dr. Wily!"

"Oh yeah? I know for a fact you're a Syndicate-bot."

"Whoa, what?"

Top Man scooted backward to get out of strike range, but he couldn't escape: Proto Man blocked him from the room's only exit.

"Wait, stop! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't play dumb with me. What's your real power?" Proto Man demanded.

"I already told you!"

"You're lying. I knew there was something fishy about you. If you're not going to tell me, _fine_ , I'll find out everything I need to know."

Before Top Man's could wriggle away, Proto Man dragged him up by his elbow and copied his ability. The weapon data uploaded instantly into his processor.

_Top Spin: the ability to spin around really fast._

For a second, Proto Man was still. Then he threw Top Man back toward the circular hatch, drawing his plasma cannon.

Top Man held up his hands. "Please don't kill me."

"Cut the coward-act, _spanner,_ I'm not buying. So, here on official Syndicate business?"

"What syndicate? I'm not part of anything!"

"You would say that, because you're their _spy,_ and you know how I know that? One of the Syndicate bosses threatened me, then you show up!"

Top Man's eyes widened, his arms lowering. "A _boss_ threatened you? _Personally?_ What'd you do?"

He froze, realizing he had slipped.

Proto Man threw a lever by the door. The release hatch opened, revealing a wide chute that dropped into one of Skull Fortress's smelting furnaces. Warm, noxious fumes from molten metal radiated up into a small grate in the ceiling.

"Looks like this batch of super-steel is gunna have some extra slag."

Top Man leaped back from the open smelting furnace, then went rigid as he stared down the barrel of Proto Man's plasma cannon, his hands back up.

"Okay, okay—I _used_ to be in the Syndicate, but I walked out on them, I swear! I don't know anything about that threat!"

"Yes, you do. You were asking me about Mega Man and Roll!" shouted Proto Man, feeling his rage bubbling over, and at its core, dread. His worst suspicions were being confirmed. The Syndicate was going to go after the Lights, just to get back at him for stealing Elec Man and meddling with their affairs. He backed Top Man toward the chute with his plasma cannon.

"I wasn't spying, I was just being friendly!" protested Top Man.

"Yeah, _real friendly,_ and I bet you thought acting friendly would be a useful angle to exploit?"

"No! I would never—I was just c-curious—I've never even met a robot with siblings like humans—" Top Man spluttered, nearly incoherent. Balanced perfectly on the edge of the hatch on the tips of his toes, Top Man took a fleeting glance down at the bottom of the furnace. His face screwed shut for a moment, then he looked back at Proto Man.

"I know this looks bad, but you gotta believe me. I was built for a very specific mission that had nothing to do with you, Mega Man, or even Wily. My mission went horribly, and I wanted out. I'm not working for them anymore, I went rogue, honest!"

Proto Man pressed his plasma cannon into Top Man's chest.

Top Man kept his balance. "I'm sorry I didn't tell the truth before—but I didn't mean any harm in it, I just didn't want to talk about it! They don't even know I joined up with Wily, or at least they didn't before the attack on Light University. Please, you gotta believe me. I'll do anything."

Top Man was shaking so hard the heels of his titanium boots were rattling together.

Proto Man gritted his teeth. He should kill Top Man. He could be a danger to himself, Wily, Mega Man, Roll—any of them, but something held him back.

What if Top Man was telling the truth?

After all, Top Man was not living up to the reputation of a Syndicate robot. Proto Man had expected a deadly fight from a dangerous robot—but Top Man trembled before him like a helpless human before a war mech, and Proto Man was beginning to doubt any part of this was an act. Weaponless, defenseless, terrified—this wasn't how Proto Man liked to win fights, and he was certain if he pushed this Robot Master into the smelting furnace right now, Top Man's face would haunt his dreams forever.

Proto Man sighed, dropping his plasma cannon. _Damn conscience, if I end up regretting this_ _…_

He threw the smelting furnace's lever. The circular hatch shut with a rusty squeal. Top Man sank on the floor, breathing very fast. Proto Man waited as he collected himself.

"Are—are you going to destroy me?" Top Man asked finally.

"Depends on what you tell me."

"…What do you want to know?"

" _Everything._ First of all, you've been skirting around my orders and you lied to Wily about where you came from. Are you immune to the protocol-disruptor?"

Top Man stared at him blankly. "The what?"

"The 'Reprogramming Raygun' or whatever Wily calls it now, the purple gun he used on you when we first met."

"Oh…is that what that thing was? I thought he was running an anti-virus or something."

Top Man attempted a nervous laugh which he quickly bit down at Proto Man's expression.

"Who's your creator?"

"One of the bosses. I-I never met him, I had a remote activation."

"Does the name 'Centum' ring a bell?"

"Yeah, that's him. How do you know his name? …Is that the boss who threatened you?"

"Yeah. Took something valuable from him awhile back."

"Can't you give it back?"

"Why would I?"

Top Man hesitated again, but then began talking very fast. "The bosses don't make direct contact often, not even with their subordinates. I've never talked with Centum before. All my orders were relayed to me through other Syndicate robots. You know—degrees of separation to protect the head in case my cover was blown. If Centum's after you, if he's _actually_ talking to you—"

"Wouldn't worry about me, I'd worry about you and what you can tell me to convince me I've made the right decision not to melt you into skull tank armor," Proto Man said gruffly. He found Top Man's attempted warning irritating. "So, you're a runaway. Are they looking for you?"

Top Man nodded glumly. "A robot mechanic—friend of a friend—she modified my hair and eye color so I wouldn't be as recognizable. It used to be short, strawberry blond—not my style, this suits me better."

"Light blue eyes?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Just a guess." Proto Man paused, mulling this over. "I should tell Wily."

Top Man looked worried. "Will he kick me out?"

"Dunno. I don't think he'd like it, especially since you're immune to the Reprogramming Raygun… _buuuut_ you don't act much like other Syndicate 'bots I've met…"

"Don't mention it to anyone, _please,_ " Top Man said quickly, sitting up straighter. "I'd rather keep it just between us."

Proto Man shrugged a shoulder. "On one condition…I want your story. Then I'll decide what to do with you."

Top Man hesitated.

"It's the only way you're getting out of here."

There was a beat of silence, filled only with the dull rumble of molten metal churning below. "Okay," Top Man said finally, taking a breath. "I'm the principal ballet dancer from the National Ballet."

"Okay, wise guy…I want the truth."

"That is the truth. My special power is the ability to execute the world's best pirouette."

"A pirou-what?"

"It's a ballet move. You know, the one where you spin rapidly on one foot."

Proto Man stared at Top Man, and Top Man stared back, looking miserable. He found it hard to process that the Syndicate, a gang considered so ruthless and powerful that most criminals wouldn't even speak of them, had built a ballet robot, but the proof was in _Top Spin_ _'_ _s_ weapon data. He sighed, leaning against the super-steel door. "Okay…start from the beginning."

"Well, as you know, I'm an android," Top Man began, "Specifically designed to blend in seamlessly with humanity—to coexist side by side for months without detection from humans or even other robots. I assumed the false identity of Todd Turner and took up residence in an ordinary apartment complex. Ballet was my cover's profession. I have considerable skill programmed into me, far superior to what any other robot can replicate.

"To truly pass as human, my performances couldn't come across as too technically perfect or artificial, I had the right blend of subtle flaws and expression—what the humans call 'technique' and 'artistry.' I mean, ballet may not be the most popular thing in the world, but you could hear a pin drop from the back row of a packed theater with me on stage. I had to be one of the best—good enough to draw audiences from all around the world."

"Why?"

"I had a target."

"Ahh…Who?"

Top Man shrugged. "Don't know. My Syndicate contacts never told me his name. All they gave me to go on was which seat number and the show. The man they were after was very secretive, very reclusive, very guarded. This was the only way to lure him out. He was supposed to be a big ballet enthusiast, I guess.

"Everything was set," Top Man continued. "It was to happen during the show, quietly, like a heart attack. No one would even suspect it was murder. There was no risk or danger for me, all I had to do was play the part, the Syndicate would help me disappear after I'd…done it."

"What gave you cold feet?"

Top Man gave Proto Man a strange look: piercing, questioning, reproachful. But then he looked away.

"I got to know someone from the _corps de ballet_. It was just flirting at first, but then…" Top Man cut off. He paused, swallowed, then continued. "I changed, I think. Being around humans made me realize how human I am. I hadn't really thought about my life before, but I decided then that I didn't want to be the robot I was programmed to be, and I wouldn't be able to go through with the hit.

"…But I couldn't back out either. Centum wanted this man dead more than anything else in the world, my Syndicate contacts were insistent on that. They wouldn't listen when I told them to tell Centum I wouldn't do it. They told me to just do what I was ordered to do, that I'd understand everything when it was over and I would be well rewarded.

"The night my mission finally came, and the house was sold out. I had my orders."

Top Man paused.

"What happened?"

"…you haven't heard about it? It was all over the news."

"We only get four stations out here. I get most of my news second-hand from Wily, and he's only interested in news that's centered around himself."

"Because of my hesitation to kill a human, one of my Syndicate contacts stepped in, another robot hitman with powerful explosive spheres for his special ability—"

"I fought a guy like that once at Mount Shasta," Proto Man interrupted, smirking. "Horned helmet, purple armor, right? Wasn't much of a challenge."

Top Man stared at him for a moment. "I tried to stop him, so he attacked _me_ _…_ he was the cause of that explosion that killed all of the humans on stage. He didn't need to, it wasn't part of the plan—he just didn't care, they were expendable, in the way…"

Proto Man's smirk vanished. Top Man was shaking again.

"The audience panicked, and our target withdrew to safety. If I had just done what they told me to do, then none of that would have happened. I wish I had known what would happen—but I couldn't do it. I don't think I could ever kill a human. They're just too much like me…

"I knew I had to run. My target had gotten away and would be unlikely to resurface in public again thanks to the failed assassination attempt. But I couldn't go to the police—they do deals with the Syndicate all the time. Nor could I go international—I'm essentially an accessory to murder. I couldn't hide forever, I was putting what few friends I had left in danger. So…I tracked down Wily. I figured as part of his army, I'd be safe."

He looked up at Proto Man, waiting. When Proto Man didn't say anything, he said, "I know you have no guarantee that I'll be loyal, but I'll do everything that you ask. I'll stay away from your sister, brother, grandma, uncle, maternal cousin three-times-removed—whatever you want, you're the boss!" Top Man laughed nervously. "And I can be useful to Wily, you've seen that."

Proto Man was still pondering Top Man's story. He claimed to have chosen to defy his Syndicate orders in the middle of a mission, part of some sort of self-discovery and evolution of personal identity. He was also immune to the Reprogramming Raygun. Two indicators of Self-Determination.

"…You're an advanced-android," he mused aloud.

"What's that? Is that high-tech?" Top Man asked.

"Yeah..it's pretty high-tech." Proto Man did not share that he too was an advanced-android. Curiosity piqued in him at finding another robot with programming on the same par as he, Mega Man, and Roll. Not to mention how _invaluable the_ Syndicate connection would make this Robot Master…

He made his decision.

"I don't know if I can trust you, but I know I can kill you. And that's the same understanding Wily and I have with each other—"

"You and Wily don't trust each other?" Top Man interrupted.

"No. We're both evil: it'd be stupid to trust each other. Since you're immune to the Reprogramming Raygun, you report to me now. If I think you've outlived your usefulness, then you're taking a one-way trip through a scrap metal grinder, got it?"

"Absolutely!"

"And don't say 'absolutely' anymore, it's annoying. Say 'okay.'"

"Abso—okay."

"As for your former career…we can keep that between you and me."

Top Man's face broke into a wide, relieved smile. "Th-thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet, I just don't want your skill to inspire Dr. Wily to cook up a world domination scheme centered around ballet. No offense, but ballet bores the hell out of me. Do you have any other skills besides passing as a human, spinning around real fast, and sucking at killing?"

"Uh…no, that's about it."

"Well, at least one of those is useful." Proto Man opened the door. "We're done here. You can go back to the armory. I'll let you know when I got a job for you. Stay out of the other Robot Masters' way in the meantime."

Top Man stood up. "You got it!"

He made to pass through the door, looking eager to leave the furnace behind, when Proto Man held out an arm, stopping him.

"Oh, one last thing…I'll want a copy of your schematics."

* * *

Proto Man had a lot to think about as he walked alone to the hangar. He was harboring a Syndicate fugitive—not just any Syndicate fugitive, an _advanced-android,_ the only other advanced android that hadn't been built by Dr. Light. And, strangest of all, Elec Man was his prototype—Proto Man was 99.9% sure.

 _At least, they definitely share plans, though they have about as much in common as Mega and I,_ Proto Man thought wryly. Elec Man was smart, calculating, cold, aloof. Top Man was oblivious, servile, friendly, an open book…

…Lonely.

He remembered Top Man's enthusiasm at finding other robots like himself, the distant familiarity of it nagging at his core processing, reminding him of different times. Was that the real reason he had spared Top Man?

Proto Man squashed the thought. In the criminal world, going soft could get you killed. Strategy first.

He wouldn't tell Dr. Wily about Top Man's real origins…at least, not for now. Dr. Wily had already forgotten all about Top Man, and Proto Man saw no need to remind him as Dr. Wily wouldn't tolerate another advanced-android running around Skull Fortress. Besides, Proto Man had his own plans.

He would keep Top Man safe and sound alright: he was a useful bargaining chip against the Syndicate. If threatening the Light's was really part of Centum's game, then he would think twice about it while Proto Man held onto both Elec Man _and_ Top Man.

Still, he and Dr. Wily would be gone for weeks; he couldn't leave Skull Fortress without at least _one_ precaution. Now, who could he trust to have an iron-clad devotion to Dr. Wily and keep tabs on a cowardly ballet robot?

He switched on his communicator. "Proto Man to Snake Man."

"Ssssnake Man here, go ahead."

"Hey…while Wily and I are out, keep an eye on Top Man. If he does anything you think is suspicious, you know…like goes off base or tries to contact someone, you power him down and lock him up in one of the bunkers. Oh, and don't tell Wily."

"…Why wouldn't I report ssssussspicioussss activity to Wily?"

"Because Wily doesn't like to be bothered with stuff like that, that's what the second-in-command is for. Besides," Proto Man lowered his voice. "You saw how much he likes the guy, right? Do you _really_ think he'd listen?"

There was a small pause, then, "Okay."

Proto Man was a bit surprised. Usually, Snake Man didn't take orders from him, especially on something that was _technically_ going behind Dr. Wily's back. He wondered what Top Man had done at Light University to get on Snake Man's bad side. "Fantastic. Just remember, don't hurt him unless you have to, and don't destroy him. Got it?"

"Of courssse, I wasssn't going to _hurt_ him—jussst because he'sss 'handsssome' and 'sssmooth'—but hurting him, that would be an irrassstional reacssstion—only _if_ Top Man triesss anything—"

Proto Man had no idea why Snake Man was babbling on about like a nervous seventh grader, and was getting annoyed trying to decipher words through the constant hissing. "Can't understand you," he said, switching off his communicator.

He had reached the hangar door. Dr. Wily was waiting for him on the other side. He cleared his mind, recalling the mission at hand. The next few weeks were going to be busy, dangerous, and had no allowance for screw-ups.

Just the way he liked it.

* * *

Cruising at a steady speed of twenty-five knots, Dr. Light's research vessel, the _RV Observer,_ cut through the North Pacific's white-capped waves like a dagger.

Over the past few days, seventeen heavily armed military ships from seven different navies had gone missing from this section of the ocean, which contained a vast underwater basin reaching depths of four miles. Suspecting that Dr. Wily was the true mastermind behind the disappearing ships, Admiral Haley of the U.S. Navy had requested Mega Man and Dr. Light to investigate.

Roll and Mega Man were huddled over the marine radar display in the _Observer_ 's equipment room. At their feet, Rush gnawed on a steel chew toy.

They were shadowing the battleship _USS Patriot_. It was on a routine voyage for its crew of marines, though it looked lonely and vulnerable perched on the horizon, like live bait.

So far, all had been quiet. Galaxy Man, at a surveillance point of twenty-thousand miles above sea-level, was unable to discern the threat either, though he had reported to Dr. Light that the cloud patterns in the Pacific Ocean had been unusual. He also warned severe storms common to the North Pacific at this time of year would make finding the culprit both difficult and treacherous.

"We've been tracking this ship all day, and still no sign of the ship highjackers. Zippo, notta," Roll pronounced, leaning back in her chair.

"Keep watching, Roll. I know Wily will strike again soon, and when he does, we'll nab him," Mega Man said encouragingly.

Had circumstances been different, Mega Man thought he might be enjoying himself. This was his third time out on the Pacific, and in a strange way it felt like he was returning to an old friend. He liked the sound of the infinite oceanscape churning around them and thundering against the ship, and the brisk salty breeze against his titanium skin.

The inside of the research vessel was not quite as nice amongst the dimmed lights and low humming of naval instruments. They stared at the _Patriot_ through on the monitor for a moment, its image never changing.

"And then what?" Roll asked several moments later in a flat voice.

Mega Man blinked. "…'then what' what?"

"After Wily is locked away for good, then what?"

Mega Man laughed. "That's the easy part…we'll just go back to what we did before: play video games, help Dr. Light with his inventions…you know, normal life."

Roll sighed.

Mega Man glanced uneasily at his sister. Roll had been avoiding him the past few weeks. Usually, they spent their off time together playing with Rush, watching T.V., or doing chores around the laboratory while Roll bugged him about coming with her to a new arcade or music store. Lately, Roll spent most of her time in her room listening to moody music or in the laboratory working on her utility arm with Met, and if she did go out, she left alone. Mega Man had decided to give her space at the time, hoping that this mission would help ease whatever was going on, but he still sensed a tension that he didn't like.

"Hey, uh, is something wrong?" he asked.

The marine radar display beeped, detecting an incoming object. Roll flipped the monitor's view from the _Patriot_ to an underwater mass floating one hundred feet below them.

"Cool, a whale! A really big one."

Mega Man ignored the silhouette on the marine radar display. "You're doing that thing again…"

"What thing?"

"Changing the subject instead of talking when something's bothering you." _I already have one sibling who won_ _'_ _t talk about personal issues, let_ _'_ _s not make it two,_ he thought humorlessly. _"_ What was the real reason you wanted to become a student at Light University?"

"I dunno. I wanted a...a change I guess."

"A change from what?"

Roll traced the edge of the keyboard with her fingernail. Mega Man suddenly realized what Roll was getting at.

"You know, this hero thing is not something we were meant to do forever. It never was," he said dropping his voice.

Roll gave him a steely look.

"It's just not _fair._ You don't even want to do this, yet you're the one getting all this _stuff_ from Senator King. You're given every opportunity to play hero without even asking for it while I have to do everything myself. It's like I'm in your shadow." She turned away from him. "It's just…there's so much out there. I don't wanna waste my time standing still."

"No, I…wouldn't want you to either."

Stung that he was the source of her frustration, and at a loss for how to make her feel better, Mega Man swallowed, then continued.

"Maybe you should talk to Dr. Light about this."

Roll snorted. "He wouldn't understand."

"You might be surprised," Mega Man said seriously. "Roll, listen…if you're thinking about doing something different with your life, you've got to tell Dr. Light. It'd break his heart if you didn't."

Roll opened her mouth to retort when the equipment room's door slid open, and Dr. Light strode inside. Mega Man and Roll jumped guiltily.

"Goodness, I didn't mean to startle you both!" Dr. Light chuckled as he strode inside. He paused, blinking at them. "Something wrong?"

Mega Man gave Roll a side glance. She was looking up at the ceiling. "Nothing, we've just picked up a whale on the radar," he said, gesturing at the monitor.

Dr. Light frowned at the image. Pushing past Mega Man and Roll, he flipped a couple bright orange switches below the video feed, amplifying the lower pitched frequencies through the speakers. His brows furrowed.

"Strange. That whale's sound pattern doesn't match any I've ever heard," he said in a low, significant voice.

Mega Man turned to the whale silhouette that they had been too distracted to analyze properly before. "I better check it out, Doc."

"Could be dangerous, Mega. Perhaps this is the time to test my new super turbine-powered underwater defense apparatus," Dr. Light said excitedly. "It's my latest project for your anti-Wily defense gear that Senator King is funding. Come quickly!"

Dr. Light hurried back through the equipment room's entrance. Mega Man and Roll followed, though Mega Man thought he saw her roll her eyes first.

* * *

Like a shark on the scent of blood, Dr. Wily's submarine drifted covertly toward the _Patriot._

The submarine was coated with a special polymer Dr. Wily had developed that made them invisible to military-grade sonar. From the inside, it was completely soundproof. This came in handy to cover up Dr. Wily's victorious laughter when a scheme went smoothly.

Dive Man and Wave Man's job was to run interference. Dr. Wily had upgraded their systems significantly since their last mission at the Pfister Mining & Manufacturing mines in Seattle. Their orders were to distract and confuse enemy ships, scattering them—then Dr. Wily would swoop in on a lone target, patiently pursuing only one quarry at a time—for with each ship, he only grew stronger.

Elec Man helped guide the submarine by relaying data from its passive sonar navigation. He had been oddly silent ever since they had left port at the secret Alaskan base. Though he concealed his emotions in the presence of Dr. Wily, assuming the same blank expression of a department store mannequin, he always vented his true frustration privately to Proto Man. But now he treated them both the same, following orders without complaint yet with the same tense concentration of a technician diffusing a bomb. Proto Man noticed the strange deviation in behavior, but left it alone.

Cut Man was showing interest in the computers, developing a particular knack for scanning equipment, and had made himself useful by shadowing Elec Man in the sonar room. Guts Man did not share this affinity for electronics with Cut Man. Growing bored with the confines of their mission, he wandered the submarine compartments, comparing strength with the attack-bots.

Dr. Wily and Proto Man sat together in the control room in padded, moss green chairs with high backs. A wall-sized monitor hung on the bulkhead before them, displaying the periscope camera view of the _Patriot_.

Dr. Wily was in a good mood, humming an uptempo march as his hands danced energetically over the control board. They surfaced slowly.

"We're closing in on her, Proto my boy. Increase speed to fifty knots!" he instructed. He picked the intercom microphone, its long curly cord trailing against the instrument panel. "Now hear this! All robots: man your battle stations!"

* * *

Dr. Light lead Roll and Mega Man to the _Observer's_ deck, where his invention awaited. The new marine suit was comprised of seaweed green titanium panels that fit snuggly over Mega Man's regular armor, locking firmly in place by magnets. The added weight made him feel off balance, and the long, flat toes of the diving fins felt strange on deck. With a tapered, dorsal-like titanium fin latched on top of his head like a backward mohawk, Mega Man was sure he looked ridiculous, but he gave Dr. Light a cheerful smile. He brandished the spear gun loaded with super-steel tipped spears that replaced his plasma cannon.

"Cool gear! Well, here I go!"

He looked over at Rush, who was sitting on his haunches and wagging his tail vigorously, his tongue lolling out. Roll stood beside him, her arms crossed. Mega Man realized he would be leaving them both behind. As he passed by, Mega Man gave Roll's hand a squeeze and whispered, "Hey, I'm really glad you told me what's been going on. Just hang in there a little longer until we can figure things out, okay?"

Roll gave him a half smile. "Don't get swallowed by that whale, you hear me?"

Mega Man smiled back, feeling a bit better that Roll was still at least joking around with him, then walked over to the _Observer_ _'_ _s_ railing and stepped overboard.

* * *

Dr. Wily's submarine breached the surface, its massive body leveling.

"Release the fog screen, Proto," ordered Dr. Wily.

Proto Man switched off a safety lever then twisted a pressure knob on the submarine's instrument panel. Outside, a layer of mist rolled around them from a spout on the submarine's top.

They crept alongside the _Patriot_ , drifting within fifty feet of the other ship's gun turrets, yet completely concealed by a fog bank as thick as cotton. The control room pitched backward gently as the bow of Dr. Wily's submarine split open like a giant jawbone. Steel grappling ropes shot out from the opening and latched fast to the _Patriot_ _'_ _s_ armored gunwales. Then fifty attack-bots crept out, their feet equipped with grooved wheels so they could ride up the ropes like cable cars.

All of this happened silently under the roar of wind and sea. Just like the seventeen battleships before it, the _Patriot_ would be captured before it had even known it was invaded.

"I just love it when an evil plan comes together! Mwhahaha!" said Dr. Wily, clapping his hands.

"Well then you're going to really _hate_ this."

Proto Man flipped the video feed to an underwater view from one of the stern-side cameras.

"Blast! It's Mega Man!" Dr. Wily shot out of his chair, his hands balling into fists. He had expected Mega Man to attack from the sky aboard his robo-mutt, not by sea like a conniving, slinking fish! Dive Man and Wave Man were busy warding off a couple of nosey Chinese submarines to the southwest and would be out of range to help.

Dr. Wily paused and calculated, examining the video feed of Mega Man jetting through the water, equipped with a new set of external marine gear. "Ha! The fool is threatening my robots with a measly spear gun?" He snickered. Perhaps he wouldn't need Dive Man or Wave Man after all. "Attack-bots, destroy Mega Man!"

* * *

Diving overboard from Dr. Light's research vessel had at first felt like jumping into a pool of ice cubes, but after the initial shock, his internal heaters kicked in and Mega Man realized he _loved s_ wimming with the marine suit.

He felt in complete control of his movement, cutting through the cool water like a bullet. The low hum of the hydraulic turbine strapped to his back was a pleasant, comforting sound. His prior dubiousness to his new armor disappeared. It was better than walking or even flying.

He was in deep water. Millions of tiny bubbles gave the miles of ocean a murky green mist-like appearance. The surface shimmered above him like a frosted glass ceiling, below was dark and featureless like the void of space. Though Mega Man could tell he was moving fast, with few landmarks to use as a point of reference, it seemed like he wasn't moving at all, which felt eerie. It was as though he were suspended in a limitless dimension—but a few moments later, he was upon Dr. Wily's submarine, its vast shape slowly growing darker and more distinct.

The submarine looked like a sperm whale made of thick titanium armor. Mega Man surmised that Dr. Wily had engineered it specifically to pass through sonar nets without raising suspicion—though he had failed to outsmart Dr. Light's own sonar technology.

It lurked next to the _Patriot_ like a giant sea lamprey. Mega Man could see ropes spanning from its bow to the _Patriot_ , and the undersides of a small army of attack-bots scaling them. As soon as he was in range, he angled his swim trajectory upward, and with a burst of speed, broke through the surface with enough velocity to land on the bulwark ahead of the attack-bots.

"Okay you metal maniacs, surrender or hang with the sharks!" Mega Man shouted. He had thought up this line during his trip from the research vessel. The attack-bots were not impressed, and opened fire.

Mega Man fell backward to avoid the lasers. _I don_ _'_ _t think they got my point,_ he thought as he shot a spear. He had timed the shot for the moment when all the ropes had converged into a single profile in his line of vision. They snapped like guitar strings as the spear sliced through them all.

Mega Man hit the water with a splash. The attack-bots were thrashing in the waves all around him. He ignored them; the few who fired toward him had poor aim, and his marine suit soon put distance between them.

He headed toward the belly of the submarine. A ray of light streamed down from a rectangular patch on its hull like a spotlight—an open moon pool.

Too easy. Mega Man shot through the opening. He landed on the inside of the hull, ready to shoot the first attacker through its power core, but the large submarine bay was clear, the attack-bots still helplessly treading water outside. Mega Man wondered briefly why the submarine was equipped with a moon pool, then had a suspicion _who_ used it if the attack-bots couldn't swim. He decided he'd have to worry about that later as he focused on getting to the control room and Dr. Wily.

The awkward drag had returned to his extra armor after he surfaced, but Mega Man ignored it as he pounded down the hall of the submarine.

A large robot dropped from the ceiling in front of him, catching him off guard and forcing him to back away.

"Hey Mega, remember me?" asked Bomb Man. He was tossing a _Hyper Bomb_ in one hand like a basketball _,_ its fuse hissing _._ "A blast from the past!"

He threw the bomb at the same time Mega Man fired. The spear pierced the _Hyper Bomb_ like a skewer and lodged itself into the shoulder of Bomb Man's chest plate. As Bomb Man scrambled to yank the spear out, the burning fuse sunk into the metal shell and the _Hyper Bomb_ exploded. Mega Man shielded his face as debris scattered out. Bomb Man fell with a loud crash.

It had been a cheap shot, but Mega Man had no time to fight. He stepped carefully over the fallen Robot Master, retrieving the spear, then kept running. The oblong door to the control room was just ahead.

"Mega Man!" Dr. Wily's voice barked from an intercom to Mega Man's right. He stopped short to listen. "I have launched a torpedo! It's aimed straight at Dr. Light's sea lab—just thought I'd let you know. Mwhehehehe."

Outside the hull of the submarine, Mega Man heard a loud _whoosh_ of water. Groaning, he rushed back down the hall, dove through the moon pool, and faced the silvery train of bubbles the torpedo had left in its wake.

 _Let_ _'_ _s see just how fast this gear can go!_ he thought.

He redirected the marine gear's entire power supply into its turbine. It was like having a rocket strapped to his back. Dr. Wily's submarine fell instantly behind him and he zoomed forward. He could see the cigarette-shaped torpedo ahead, growing steadily larger, its propeller whirring behind it like a buzzsaw. He fired at the torpedo's nose, destroying its acoustic homing system and knocking it off course. It spiraled downward before erupting into a ball of flame. A mountain of water exploded above, dousing the _Observer_ 's deck with a sheet of icy salt water.

* * *

Since most of the marine suit's energy had been spent maxing out the hydraulic turbine, Mega Man had no choice but to return to the _Observer_ and have it recharged. The fog bank that had appeared so suddenly around the _Patriot_ was slowly breaking up, but the _Patriot_ and Dr. Wily's submarine were nowhere to be seen, neither above or below water.

"The battleship's crew!" said Dr. Light, gazing out of the _Observer_ _'_ _s_ bridge through a pair of binoculars. A group of lifeboats filled with marines rowed out of the fog towards them. "Thank goodness they're safe."

"Looks like Wily bagged himself another battleship," said Mega Man.

"Better pick them up," answered Dr. Light grimly, "And then inform Admiral Haley."

_**To be continued…** _


	5. Terror of the Seven Seas, Part 2

Back on inside the bridge of the _Observer,_ Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll broke the bad news to Admiral Haley through a video conference.

"It's too bad Wily got away," Admiral Haley sighed. "We've lost five ships already. Perhaps I should cancel the maiden voyage of the battlecruiser _Freedom_. I can't afford to lose another one.

"Don't cancel it, sir," said Mega Man, grinning. "You just need a few new recruits to join you on your ship."

* * *

In the control room of his submarine, Dr. Wily was in a good mood. He had just stolen a ship from right under Mega Man and Dr. Light's nose and was eager to do it again, just to rub it in.

But Proto Man's mind was occupied with less pleasant matters thanks to recent events with Top Man. After Dr. Wily's fifth spiel on his superiority over Dr. Light, he made an excuse to leave the control room to have a little chat with Elec Man. He had questions.

The sonar room was lit by dim blue lights, the walls lined in rows of glowing yellow and red buttons, giving it the appearance of a dark, boxy cave dotted with neon. Four dual-screened monitors displayed sonar radial displays of the ocean around the submarine. A few pairs of headsets with large foam muffs sat on the instrument panels. Elec Man had charted a course for Dr. Wily and was feeding the information through one of the submarine's transmitters.

"Hey…Wily went over what you gotta do, right?" Proto Man asked as he finished up.

"Yes—it's simple enough," Elec Man snapped.

"Whoa, cool it…just making sure the troops get the mission orders from our fearless leader. You could say it's my job."

"Since when do you do your job?"

Elec Man turned his back to Proto Man and exited the sonar room. Proto Man followed.

"I can tell you're a little on edge," said Proto Man as they passed through a narrow corridor in single file, their boots clinking on the metal floor grating. "Believe me, I get it. You're connected to a gang that's broken more rules than Wily and I have combined. While I don't think you ever killed anyone _innocent_ (unless you count a few robo-drones), most countries tend to frown on that sort of thing…you're concerned that if you get captured by any of the navies out here, you'll get dismantled, right?"

"There are worse things than destruction. The world doesn't know anything like the Syndicate exists. If I'm captured, the secret will be out."

"Weird you're more worried about a powerful robot gang that hasn't even given you the courtesy of a rescue attempt than you are about your own circuits."

Elec Man shot Proto Man a glare, his chin angled up haughtily as he swung open the vaulted door of the equipment compartment.

"…Just sayin.'" Proto Man leaned against the oblong door frame. "So what makes a Syndicate boss like Centum order one of his robots to murder a human anyway?"

He was not expecting a concrete answer. Asking Elec Man about his past with the Syndicate was like trying to decipher a long message written in sand at high tide. Memory files of day to day life before joining Dr. Wily were completely scrambled. Most of what Elec Man could recall Proto Man doubted were real memories, but constructions his logic programming had produced based on deductions from what little he had left and the remnants of his overridden protocol defaults.

"Same reason we'd terminate a robot: we took out rivals," Elec Man replied with the passion of someone replacing a dead light bulb.

"You mean other crooks?"

"Likely. You want politicians in your back pocket and cops to look the other way, you gotta seem like the lesser of two evils. They might not like our methods, but they didn't complain when we did their dirty work either. Besides…we didn't like competition."

"Any other reasons?"

" _I_ wouldn't know. Perhaps if an individual became a significant threat to the organization."

Proto Man thought back to something Centum had said to him on the Moon. "So…sorta like protecting the family?"

"What would _you_ know about protecting family?" Elec Man asked bluntly.

It was a low blow. Elec Man said no more as he opened a supply compartment and began rummaging for equipment, apparently thinking the conversation was over.

Proto Man stewed on his words for a moment. "Say…you'd be honest with me, right?"

"Don't I _have_ to be?" Elec Man asked resentfully, throwing protocol destabilizer chips into a toolbox.

"What do you think of the new robot, Top Man?"

"…That's a random question."

"Just want your honest opinion."

"Completely useless. Not enough utility to justify a Robot Master status," Elec Man said without hesitation.

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"Clunky helmet design, no weapons, armor so orange he might as well have a blazing target welded to his back. But why ask my opinion? Surely you've seen these things for yourself."

Proto Man smirked. "Seems a little harsh, doesn't it? You hardly know the guy."

Elec Man closed the toolbox with a snap. "Where did Wily find him? 'Bargain Robot Masters for the mediocre criminal mastermind?' Was he made by the same burnout as Ring Man?"

It wasn't a question. Proto Man dropped it, though he couldn't help but smirk. So much for family.

"Here…the thing Wily wanted you to have." Proto Man handed him the I.D. Ring Man had made back at Skull Fortress. "Dr. Wily wants that American battlecruiser, but Mega Man and Roll are on it. They're expecting the sub to attack, so while they're waiting for that, you're going to sneak aboard and attack from the inside. Disguise yourself as a naval officer, it's foolproof."

"Dr. Light's other androids are on the ship?" asked Elec Man quietly.

"Light's _only_ androids are on the ship," Proto Man corrected.

Elec Man rolled his eyes. "What if Roll recognizes me?"

"…Why would Roll recognize you?"

"You ordered me to take her home while she recovered from Wily's retrovirus," Elec Man answered through gritted teeth. "She was still rebooting and her optics hadn't recalibrated yet, but I think she may have seen my face."

"Oh yeah, forgot about all of that. Good point." Proto Man rummaged through Dr. Wily's supplies for a moment. "Alright…new plan. Here's an animatronic mask. Mega Man's been fooled by them before. Just keep it on until the time is right."

Elec Man wrinkled his nose at the rubbery mask Proto Man had handed him, but did not object.

An ominous groan rippled down the bulwarks around them like the bellow of a walrus. Elec Man flinched at the sound as though he had been shot.

"Easy there, jumpy...just the hull popping from the pressure change of surfacing, nothing to worry about," said Proto Man quietly, eyeing Elec Man curiously.

"I know that," Elec Man retorted angrily.

"Besides, even if there _was_ something to worry about, we're robots. Not like a little water can hurt us, right?"

Elec Man said nothing, but his hands had closed into fists and were shaking slightly. Proto Man observed this, puzzled, but did not comment.

They emerged in the bow of the submarine, a rickety lifeboat waiting in an inky black pool of bilge water before the submarine's main release hatch. "Oh, by the way, don't take too long," Proto Man said. "Wily said there's supposed to be a storm tonight."

"…Aren't you coming?"

"Believe me, I'd like to—this submarine gig is getting old—but Wily wants me here. Can't have all our good 'bots away from the sub."

For a fleeting second, Elec Man made eye contact with Proto Man—the look a shade reminiscent of the one Top Man had worn when Proto Man had threatened to push him into the furnace. But the moment was over so quick Proto Man may have imagined it. Elec Man's face was blank as copier paper as he joined Bomb Man, Guts Man, and Cut Man. A second later, he had pulled the animatronic mask over his face and climbed aboard the lifeboat with the rest, the other three Robot Masters clumsy in baggy human clothing they were unaccustomed to wearing.

What was Elec Man worried about? This plan had little risk. Proto Man decided he would have to wait until the Robot Masters completed their mission before he got to the bottom of it.

* * *

The _USS Freedom_ was the fastest battlecruiser in the entire U.S. Naval Fleet, equipped with twenty hull-piercing guns, ten missile launchers, and armored in thick titanium. Mega Man and Roll stood with Admiral Haley in the bridge, which offered a high vantage point to overlook the deck below and the ocean surrounding them.

They had mutually decided that this mission would be unnecessarily dangerous for any civilians, so Dr. Light stayed behind on the _Observer_ under the watchful guard of three destroyers and two attack submarines.

Mega Man had also left his new marine suit behind. It was still charging, and after closer inspection, in need of repairs (maxing out its engines had taken its toll on its system, and Dr. Light needed to retune it before it'd be safe to operate). Mega Man didn't like the idea of going up against Dr. Wily's submarine again without it, but he knew he could count on Rush's marine mode in the meantime.

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of them so far, Mega," said Admiral Haley. He was dressed in a navy uniform consisting of a white wool peacoat with golden stripes around its shoulders and cuffs, five rows of military service ribbons on its breast. Though he seemed like a man who rarely smiled, he also had an air of calm patience. "Our sonar officers haven't reported any contacts either."

"I know Wily will attack, Admiral, and when he does, we'll nail him," said Mega Man.

"Unless he's going for a different ship," Roll pointed out.

"That would be the smart thing to do, but we know Wily won't resist the opportunity to show us up again," Mega Man replied, "…No matter how many times that's burned him in the past."

"Roll has a point though," said Admiral Haley. "They could go after a different boat from another navy—of course, the Robot International Police are also investigating."

"Oh?" asked Mega Man.

Admiral Haley nodded. "We are in international water, after all. Inspector Headley informed me this morning that they have already deployed a task force led by one of their sergeants to this sector."

"You mean Sergeant Enker?" Roll spoke up. "Is he leading their task force?"

Mega Man arched a brow at her. She scowled back.

"He did not say," said Admiral Haley.

"Can they help us out?" asked Mega Man.

Admiral Haley shook his head. "These vessels are the property of the United States, U.S. soil in a sense, which means U.S. law is enforced," he explained. "As you know, the U.S. withdrew its support from the Convention to Combat Global Robo-crime, which means R.I.P. has no jurisdiction on any of our navy boats. Unless we are in distress, they'd need permission from President Lemming to board. We're on our own. I don't write the law, you'll have to take it up with Senator King. It was his bill that caused the U.S. to withdraw. Dr. Light is doing governmental contract work through him, right?"

"That's correct, though the funds go strictly towards defense gear to counteract Wily's plots," said Mega Man bracingly. Behind Admiral Haley, could see Roll scowl.

One of the _Freedom_ _'_ _s_ lieutenants entered the bridge. She snapped to attention and saluted Admiral Haley. "Sir, our radio operators have picked up a distress signal."

Admiral Haley pointed his binoculars at the starboard-side window towards a black dot on the horizon. A red light as minute as a pinpoint was flashing a Morse coded S.O.S., its visibility greatly diminished by the bright afternoon sunlight glaring off the ocean. "A lifeboat with survivors," he murmured. It may have been lucky that they had noticed them at all, small boats were nearly invisible on radar.

"Wily must have attacked another ship!" said Mega Man. He called Rush to him. "C'mon boy, we gotta pick them up!"

* * *

The small lifeboat was hoisted up the side of the _Freedom_ by its cranes, and four sailors clamored onto the deck. They appeared to be between the ages of thirty and fifty, and had the sea-withered faces of men who liked to brave hurricanes head-on. Each wore waterproof jackets, chunky turtlenecks, wooly caps, and thick rubber boots.

"Welcome aboard. What happened?" asked Admiral Haley.

"Duuhh, we were attacked by robots, uh…big ugly brutes—um—very dangerous," stammered one of the humans. He appeared to be the youngest of the group, a very tall muscular man with broad shoulders and a clean-shaven head.

"They threatened to beat us up if we didn't scram," piped up a man with a puffy gray mustache. His cap said upright on his head as though held up by wires.

"Yes, Wily's forces were truly overwhelming," the third sailor said in a flat, almost sarcastic tone. He had a black pointed beard and seemed shaken by their ordeal to the point of being ill-tempered.

"What sort of ship were you on?" asked Mega Man.

"A hundred and ninety-six ton steel crabber," the bearded man answered.

"No fishing boats should be in these waters now!" Admiral Haley chided angrily. "Hadn't you heard? The mad scientist Wily is hijacking ships in this park."

The sailors stood their ground. "It's the best time of _year_ for crab fishing!" spoke up the fourth sailor. He had a squashed face and thick arms like a wrestler. "You can't expect us to give up our livelihood just because some egghead landsman thinks he can be a pirate!"

Admiral Haley frowned. "You'll need food and rest. Officer!"

A warrant officer saluted Admiral Haley, then lead the sailors toward the _Freedom_ _'_ _s_ crew quarters.

Admiral Haley let out a sigh after they left. " _Civilians._ _"_

"Blast! I thought we had Wily for sure!" Mega Man said to Roll. "You were right...looks like we were on the wrong ship."

* * *

Dive Man and Wave Man lay in wait below the _Freedom,_ prepared to step in if the land robots ran into trouble taking control of the ship. The view was impressive, though stark. The ocean reached three miles in depth, so sunlight never reached its floor, with water pressure high enough to crush titanium ships as easily as soda cans. It was like being in an inverted world, the bottom of the ocean darker than the night sky above water, the hull of the _Freedom_ like a smooth, upside down island on the surface.

Privately, they felt harassed. Much of Dr. Wily's scheme counted on their ability to keep other vessels away from where his submarine lurked during ship hijackings. Though the mission had been going well, Dr. Wily had lost his head at them when a destroyer nearly stumbled upon him while he was commandeering a frigate, which could have literally sunk the entire operation. Should this happen again, he had warned the consequences would be dire.

But Dive Man and Wave Man felt they were performing above and beyond the call of duty given their origins as civilian robots. After all, they were still recalibrating to the upgrades Dr. Wily had recently hardwired into their systems. Their bodies had been modified to be much faster, their maneuverability sharper, their armor stronger, their weapons deadlier. He had also manually purged Wave Man's commercial fishing protocols and Dive Man's oceanography databanks so he could cram them with new underwater combat programming. The end result made them feel as though their memory chips had been blasted out by a cannon and replaced with metal filings, and that they now moved more on aggressive reflex than from conscious thought, like bull sharks.

The only upgrade they had liked was an enhancement to their vocal hardware. They could now converse underwater, which they did freely, reminding them that (if nothing else) they could still be civilized robots, and not mindless weapons of Dr. Wily.

"He abandons us down in the dry, dusty basement of Skull Fortress for eight months, then with no warning upgrades us and is surprised when we are a little rusty?" Wave Man complained.

"I just wish there was more organization to the whole thing," replied Dive Man. "It's all completely random. First he attacks a university, now this? There's no logical progression in it!"

"Damn straight! I mean, how does he expect his robots to keep up when he—"

Wave Man cut off. Floating a hundred yards off, he spotted a brief glimpse of a distinct and familiar silhouette before it darted downward in a flash of green and blue titanium, fading into the blackness.

"It can't be…Mega Man is up there on the ship," murmured Wave Man, raising his harpoon launcher.

"I saw it too," said Dive Man.

"Can you ping it?"

Dive Man pointed a blaster toward the blackness, emitting a high pitched sonar pulse. The sound rang through the water like a bell. He waited a moment, listening. "No good, I can't pick up a contact. Too small, and too much interference from bubbles."

"Couldn't have been a fish, too fast," Wave Man said positively. "But it could have been Mega Man in his new aqua gear—it was almost the exact same shape, I could swear on it!"

"Dunno what he's up to, probably trying to lure us away from the ship. Let's stay put, Dr. Wily will scuttle us if we let her get away."

Wave Man nodded. "If he comes back, I'll skewer him."

* * *

Meanwhile, in a private compartment of the _Freedom_ _'_ _s_ crew quarters, Guts Man eagerly tore through the disguise that had felt as uncomfortable and confining to him as factory sealed shrink wrap. "Wily's plan worked like a charm."

"Yeah, the blue dweeb didn't suspect a thing!" said Cut Man, his disguise shredded to ribbons at his feet.

The crab fishing ruse had been Wave Man's idea. Bomb Man had recited his line exactly as Wave Man had dictated, and the humans had bought it, hook line and sinker.

"We'll take care of him," Guts Man growled. "Now quit gabbing and take over the ship!"

"I need thirty seconds to jam communications in the radio room. In another minute, I'll have control of the engine room and most of the robotic crew. You two need to distract the human marines until then. Think you can handle that?" Elec Man asked Guts Man and Cut Man irritably.

"I'll make sure they see the _'point'_ in surrendering the ship," said Cut Man, clicking his head shear together.

"And whoever gets Mega Man first will be Dr. Wily's new top 'bot!" thundered Guts Man.

"Whatever," said Elec Man.

"Hey, is everything all right, man?" asked Bomb Man quietly, nudging Elec Man's elbow. "You seem kinda stressed out on the boat."

"It's nothing," said Elec Man, shrugging away from him.

* * *

Admiral Haley and the officer of the deck stood silently in the bridge, scanning the black, choppy water that stretched for miles around the _Freedom_ for any signs of unusual movement as they navigated northeast.

…Which is why they weren't expecting the wall behind them to suddenly blow apart, pelting them with bits of plaster. Bomb Man stepped through the opening, brandishing a smoking _Hyper Bomb_ in each hand.

"What'll it be, mates? Surrender, or one of these babies?"

The officer glanced uncertainly at Admiral Haley out of the corner of his eye as he held up his hands. Admiral Haley glared defiantly at Bomb Man while depressing a small brown button on the _Freedom_ _'_ _s_ control panel.

* * *

A deep pitched alarm blared through the _Freedom_ , its reverb rattling through the bulkheads like a gong. Mega Man and Roll, who had accidentally dozed off in the low-backed pivot chairs of the radar room, woke with a start. What was going on? The passive sonar array had detected nothing, yet they could hear the thundering of hundreds of boots overhead like hail pounding on a roof. They dashed upstairs to the deck, Rush at their heals.

On the gun deck a level above, Guts Man had trapped a troop of marines in heavy nylon rigging. "Best catch I've had in days!" he crowed.

"Rats, they tricked us, Mega! We've been had!" said Roll, pointing at Guts Man.

"They made a big mistake, and they're going to regret it," Mega Man replied in a low voice. "I'm gunna bust your circuits, Guts Man!" he called up. He fired, the plasma blast slamming into the gun turret over Guts Man's right shoulder.

"Ha, missed me mega-twerp!" Guts Man crowed.

Mega Man fired again. The turret swung in a full circle, striking Guts Man in the back. He fell gracelessly from the upper deck. "I _never_ miss."

Guts Man leaped to his feet, his fists balling up so tightly Mega Man could hear his titanium knuckles grind together. "You're scrap metal, twerp!"

Rush growled protectively and lunged at Guts Man, sinking his teeth into his shin. Guts Man bellowed, and began floundering around deck on one foot, Rush swinging from his boot.

"Rush, no!" Mega Man warned.

Too late. Guts Man clubbed Rush's head with a bright yellow fist, and Rush let go with a yipe. Grabbing him by the tail, Guts Man hurled Rush overboard with enough force to skip him across the ocean like a stone.

"You've had it, Guts Man! _Nobody_ does that to my dog!" roared Mega Man, peppering him with low-powered blasts of plasma. The barrage battered Guts Man across the chest, knocking him off balance.

"Mind if I… _'_ _cut_ _'_ in?" asked Cut Man, running to Guts Man's defense.

"Be my guest!" retorted Roll, darting past Mega Man.

She swept in close to Cut Man, grabbed him by the shoulder, then rolled backward while kicking out at his abdomen, using the momentum from her tumble to launch Cut Man over and behind her like a catapult. A perfect sacrificial throw. Cut Man flew headfirst through the steel grating on a dorade vent, his anguished cry echoing down the horn-shaped tube.

Mega Man had turned to give Roll a thumbs up when his vision went blindingly white. He was on his back without knowing what had happened. Pain throbbed through his head like someone striking his helmet with a sledgehammer, and stars danced across his eyes. He couldn't move, though he could hear electricity sparking through his circuits as though someone was crinkling paper next to his ears.

Elec Man stepped out from behind the radar tower, regarding Mega Man with cool indifference, his hands falling to his sides. A fine string of electricity arced between his fingers.

"Mega!" Roll shouted, running toward him.

Guts Man ripped a heavy iron capstan from the deck and lobbed it toward like a giant yo-yo. It caught her in the stomach, the momentum propelling her backward to the other side of the deck. She flipped over the gunwale and fell overboard with a splash.

"Roll!" Mega Man called in a strained voice. He felt uselessly rooted to the deck, completely paralyzed by the surfeit electricity burning beneath his titanium skin.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining her soon!" Guts Man jeered, looming over him.

* * *

Minutes later, Mega Man was lashed on top of an armed anti-ship missile by a super-steel towing cable as thick as a garden hose.

"We've captured the ship, Dr. Wily— _and_ a little blue bonus to go with it," Guts Man growled into a handheld radio.

" _Exxxxxcelllent,_ " Dr. Wily's voice crackled back. "Send him back to his friends, _'air express,'_ then take the ship to the island."

"You've got it, Dr. Wily."

The missile shot out horizontally from its cradle in a jet of white smoke. The roar of the rocket filled Mega Man's ears, the metal shell burning like a hot iron against his back. The effects of Elec Man's _Thunder Beam_ had finally dissipated, but he was at his last bar of energy, his systems warning him of an impending shutdown. He felt drowsy, his eyelids drooping as blue sky and the green ocean blurred together as the missile whirled on its trajectory.

 _Pull yourself together_ _…_ he thought. _You gotta think of a way to get out of this_ _…_ _if I can only get a hand free, I can at least warn Dr. Light_ _…_

He tugged at his arm, but his bindings were too tight, and the missile was going fast, _too_ fast, it'd reach its target in only seconds—

_Thunk._

Mega Man looked down toward the noise. A pointed projectile the size of a paper fan had embedded in the missile shell, just below the bottommost loop of cable holding his ankles down. It was split into three double-edged triangular blades, like a leaf of poison ivy. _Where did_ that _come from?_ he thought.

_Thunk._

Mega Man had no chance to spot the second blade as the cables snapped apart and he immediately tumbled downward. Hitting the ocean felt like crashing through a layer of concrete, but then the chilly saltwater closed in soft and pillow-like, cooling him down and dampening the sound from the surface above.

A second later, the missile blew up in a ball of fire, the shock of its explosion vibrating through the water. Debris rained down through the surface in sooty streaks. Panic tore through Mega Man. Had Dr. Light's research vessel been hit? No, it couldn't have, the _Observer_ _'_ _s_ hull still floated several hundred yards in the distance.

Mega Man tried to kick his legs to swim back to the surface, but it was no good, he had no power left to run his actuators and many of his transistors had burnt out. His limbs swayed loosely in the water, and he was sinking fast.

 _I_ _'_ _m_ _…_ _too weak_ _…_ he thought as the water grew darker around him.

This could be the end. If Dr. Light didn't find him in time, he'd be swallowed by the depths of the ocean, partially crushed by water pressure, lost at sea.

But as his systems began to shut down, he saw something swimming his way. A fish…a big fish. No, a dolphin. No, a… _mermaid?_

The mermaid grabbed him by the elbow and began pulling him toward the surface, her tail beating against the water in powerful strokes like a paintbrush. She held up the built-in communicator of her gauntlet's forearm toward her mouth, and said in a cool, silvery voice that was as clear underwater as voices were above, "Tengu Man, I got him. Surfacing now."

But Mega Man powered down before that happened.

* * *

When Mega Man's systems booted up again, he was lying on the _Observer_ _'_ _s_ deck, his head cushioned by a life preserver _._ Dr. Light was crouched over him. He had removed Mega Man's chest plate that and was operating on his power core using two electrodes that were hooked up to a stereo speaker-sized computer on a trolly behind him. As Mega Man opened his eyes, Dr. Light smiled in relief.

"Circuit temperature ninety-eight point six amps, pulse power normal—you're good as new, Mega!" Dr. Light pronounced cheerfully. At his side, Rush gave an excited bark and wagged his tail, no worse for wear.

Mega Man looked from his dog back to Dr. Light. "Did Roll make it back?"

Dr. Light's face fell. "I'm afraid she was still with the _Freedom_ when it disappeared. _"_

Mega Man grimaced, then, with a start, realized he a small audience, and hastily replaced the chest panel over his exposed power core.

The mermaid who had saved him was perched on the _Observer_ _'_ _s_ bow, her back straight and turned away from him, gaze locked on the horizon like a protective sentinel. She was a robot in sea blue armor, crisp white gauntlets and scallop-shaped pauldrons, a pattern on her helmet like the curling foam of a wave crest. She carried a trident with platinum-colored prongs which she held upright next to her. A long titanium plated fishtail dangled over the railing.

Sitting next to her was another aquatic robot in lily pad green armor and light blue titanium skin the exact shade as his own. Mega Man thought he looked coincidentally similar to himself in his marine suit, except this robot was shorter and wider. He kicked his black floppy scuba feet back and forth against the side of the _Observer_. His face was covered by a metal plate, and two magnified eyes stared out from under a diver's mask. A tubular nozzle was mounted on his helmet, attached by hose to a tank on his back.

The third and final robot was six and a half feet tall. His head was covered with a circular red mask with a long, sharp nose like a tent stake and two half circle openings for his flat, bored eyes. Unlike the other two, this robot was built for the air: he had an aerodynamic frame, and tapered jet wings lay folded on his back. He wore ornately decorated armor of red, white, gold, stormy gray and peacock blue.

All three of them had Robot International Police insignias on their chests.

The mermaid robot glanced over her shoulder as Mega Man got up. "Hello Mega Man," she greeted. "I'm Sergeant Sirena of the Robot International Police, though most still call me by my Robot Master title, Splash Woman. This is officer Bubble Man and officer Tengu Man," she said, gesturing toward the other Robot Masters. "We're glad to see you've recovered."

 _I wonder if Roll_ _'_ _s going to be disappointed when she realizes R.I.P. sent you, not Enker,_ Mega Man thought wryly. "Glad to meet you. I guess I owe you one for pulling me out of the ocean."

"No problem. Rescuing overboard sailors is what I was originally built for."

"Pfff. I was the one who cut you loose from the missile," said Tengu Man, pointing his long nose into the air. He had a drawling voice as though he had better places to be.

"I, uh, watched," said Bubble Man with a small wave.

"We were lucky to have you at hand," said Dr. Light.

"It was pure luck," agreed Bubble Man. "I had been scouting in the area, looking for any sign of Wily, when I came across that American battlecruiser _._ There were two marine Robot Masters guarding her from below—dead giveaway Wily had targeted that ship—they spotted me so I withdrew for back up, but by then, it was too late to do anything. The ship just disappeared. And you were in trouble…"

"You must have seen Dive Man and Wave Man," said Mega Man, sighing. "I had a hunch Wily had brought them along too."

"Look, Mega! More lifeboats!" said Dr. Light, pointing out beyond the _Observer_ _'_ _s_ bow. He and Mega Man dashed over to Splash Woman and Bubble Man for a better look. From this distance, the boats with their moving oars looked like water beetles. "But no ship…it's vanished without a trace!"

"Yeah, and Roll along with it!" said Mega Man, scanning the lifeboat occupants. "I've gotta search for her!"

Splash Woman was watching the lifeboats intently as one of the American destroyers drifted towards the lifeboats to pick up the sailors. Then she stirred, her grip on her trident tightening, her gaze becoming more earnest as she scanned the horizon back and forth. "Where's Honey Woman?" she murmured. "She should have rendezvoused with us by now."

"Who's Honey Woman?" Mega Man asked.

"We have one more officer with us," explained Bubble Man.

"Tengu Man, when was the last time you saw Honey Woman?" asked Splash Woman, twisting around to face him.

"She was with me when we got your orders. We were on our way together toward the _Freedom,_ but I jetted ahead to save the American." Tengu Man jutted a thumb at Mega Man.

"You don't think she stayed behind on the _Freedom_?" Bubble Man asked Splash Woman.

Splash Woman's brows knitted together. "She would have if she thought Wily might take human hostages. She'd want to make sure they're safe." She lifted her communicator. "Honey Woman, can you read me?" There was no return transmission. She dropped her arm with a sigh. "She's not answering. Looks like one of our allies is missing too," she said to Mega Man and Dr. Light.

"Then we have something in common," said Dr. Light grimly. "Why don't we join forces on this one? My robots and your fellow land-based R.I.P. officers have worked well together in the past. Since we're in international waters, there's no reason we cannot bind together again to stop Wily and get Roll and Honey Woman back."

Splash Woman smiled at him. "I was hoping you'd say that. Our answer is yes."

"We're going to need a plan though," spoke up Tengu Man, pointing toward the southwestern edge of the ocean. In the darkness, they could just make out a growing mass pushing toward them like a blanket unfurling across the sky. "Because _that_ is _definitely_ a storm heading our way."

_**To be continued** _ _**…** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with 'Honey Woman,' as I don't know how widely known the MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works book is, so I better explain a little. The story is, Honey Woman was intended to debut in Rockman 9 as the first female Robot Master until Keiji Inafune and team decided to go with Splash Woman and replaced her with Hornet Man. If you do own the book, it's on pages 351 and 354, if you don't, you can find her on Hornet Man's entry on the MMKB Mega Man wiki. So though she never officially made it to the games, she still has her small mark in Mega Man history.


	6. Terror of the Seven Seas, Part 3

As soon as Roll hit the ocean, an icy wave from the _Freedom's_ wake slammed down on her like the lid of a granite tomb.

Her ears filled with water and the drone of the twin propellers behind her, which were creating a powerful current that sucked her towards the keel of the ship. She kicked her feet hard to swim against it, but the undertow felt like an iron weight dragging her backward.

Roll aimed at the black bottom of the ocean with her utility arm and deployed a rapid-inflate rubber raft (installed specifically for this mission), which cannonballed her upward like a trampoline. As soon as she broke the surface, she drew a mountaineering axe and drove it into the hull of the _Freedom._

Her body jerked as the axe caught fast, her ponytail clinging to the nape of her neck like a wet rope. She pulled herself steady, still half submerged, fighting the force of the wake buffeting against her in repeating waves.

Roll needed to get out of the water before the strain of fighting the undertow damaged her actuators and she lost her grip. A thin film of algae developing on the smooth hull made it too slippery to climb. Switching tactics, Roll firmly grasped the base of the mountaineering axe with her left hand and disengaged it from her utility arm. Then she fired a grappling hook upward.

It sunk into the bottom of the ship gunwale. Pulling the cord tight, Roll began to scale the wall of the ship, retracting the slack as she went, until she reached a porthole. She kicked it into the ship, and (releasing the grappling hook) swung inside—crashing into the back of an attack-bot on the other side.

The attack-bot whirled around, its yellow optic sensors sweeping over her, and was just about to lift its blaster when Roll cut through its main power relay with a reciprocating saw. The attack-bot crashed to the ground. She flipped it over, removed its memory chips, and crushed them between her fingers. Then she paused to think.

She had barged into the _Freedom's_ cramped galley. Little sound came from outside the compartment, not even so much as distant shouts of human resistance, which Roll knew wasn't good news. She checked her communicator, but it had no signal. The Robot Masters must have jammed all outbound transmissions from the _Freedom._

Roll looked back out the hole she had made in the hull. Endless ocean stretched beyond, with a storm rolling across it. No sign of Mega Man. Had he made it off the ship? Or had he been taken prisoner? Or even thrown overboard?

She _could_ try to swim for it and get help—or at least get a better signal to try contacting Mega Man with. But if she left now, she'd _definitely_ lose the _Freedom_ in this storm _,_ leaving Dr. Wily free to enact the next part of his plan—not to mention what they'd do to Mega Man if he _had_ been taken prisoner.

 _…But, if I stay here, Mega Man might be out there, and in trouble,_ she thought. Without knowing for sure what had happened to Mega Man, she could only guess which option was better: stop Dr. Wily now, or search for her brother outside the ship and get help?

Grimly, Roll decided she was where she needed to be.

She stowed the body of the attack-bot in a pantry, then repaired the porthole with a blow torch. Realizing she was dripping water everywhere, she took down her ponytail, drew a digimatic blow dryer, set it to 'hyper ionic,' and ran it over her hair, drying it within seconds. She then pulled it back up into a ponytail, securing it with a with its lime green cuff. Her titanium skin jumpsuit, designed to be water-resistant, was already dry.

Roll glanced around the galley, wondering what to do next. There was only one door, which lead to one of the _Freedom's_ tight corridors. The Robot Masters were taking it _somewhere…_ but where, and why?

She heard footsteps from the corridor outside, synchronized footsteps, like marching. More attack-bots. If the ship had been completely taken over, attacking a troop and drawing attention to herself wouldn't be very smart. She needed to hide and explore the ship covertly.

On one of the interior walls, next to the galley sink, was a garbage chute. She opened its square bottom-hinged door. A warm draft smelling of old potato peelings drifted out of a dark opening just big enough to squeeze through. Crinkled her nose, Roll climbed into the chute, the door snapping shut behind her.

* * *

Bubble Man's scuba feet slapped the deck as he paced back and forth, admiring the _Observer_. "This boat is choice, Doctor," he said. "No carbon emissions…they should make them all like this, the ocean would be heaps cleaner."

"I hope someday they will be," replied Dr. Light.

"What do you make of this storm, Tengu Man?" Splash Woman asked, swishing her tail as she stared into the billowing clouds that sat low on the horizon.

Tengu Man squinted. "It'll cover Wily's tracks all right. We're going to lose two, maybe three hours to the search."

 _Three hours?_ Mega Man internally groaned.

"Well, perhaps by then Wily will have moved on to the Atlantic Ocean," Splash Woman said wryly.

"I like listening to your voice, Splash Woman," said Dr. Light, smiling at her. "It's very pretty."

She smiled back. "Thank you," she answered. "I have heard about you and Mega Man from Time Man. He speaks highly of you."

"How is Time Man?" asked Mega Man.

"Well, but busy. I'll let him know you asked about him, though that may not be for awhile. We don't see the other officers often." Her smile faded, and she looked toward Bubble Man and Tengu Man. "We should contact Headquarters and tell them what happened."

Bubble Man and Tengu Man gathered near her at the prow of the ship as she lifted her communicator. "Ra Thor, I have an update on our mission."

Mega Man had only met Ra Thor once over a very brief video transmission, but knew from Enker that he was the superintendent of the Robot International Police, in charge of issuing commands to the sergeants, and a direct report to Duo and Inspector Headley.

"Hi Splash Woman, a pleasure hearing from you again."

"Yes, it is strange to hear from you so often," said Splash Woman lightly. "We're not used to having you check in on us much."

"That's because you are not as much trouble as Enker," said Ra Thor. "What do you have to report?"

"The _USS Freedom_ has been captured by Wily's Robot Masters. We're with Thomas Light on his ship the _Observer_ and will be joining efforts with Mega Man to continue the investigation. _"_

"We also lost Honey Woman," said Bubble Man. "I mean, we didn't _lose her_ lose her, like she's not destroyed—or at least, we hope she hasn't been destroyed— but she is _lost_ as in we don't know where she is—"

"We think she may have remained on board the _Freedom,"_ cut in Splash Woman. "We cannot make contact with her."

"I see," replied Ra Thor. "…Any good news?"

"It's not raining yet," said Splash Woman. "Though a storm is on the way. Can you please arrange for backup?"

There was a brief pause. "I'm afraid not," Ra Thor said gingerly, in the same voice of someone who repeatedly rejected a reasonable request, and was weary of upholding this unsavory part of leadership. "We can't build more flying or swimming Robot Masters overnight, and even if we could, our resources are stretched thin and those types of robots are very costly. We also cannot afford to risk losing more Robot Masters until we have more information on what type of threat we are dealing with. Once Wily has been located, Inspector Headley may order Duo to join you, but I cannot make any promises. Please keep me informed of any developments."

"Understood, thank you," said Splash Woman, ending the transmission. She closed her eyes and sighed. Both Tengu Man and Bubble Man's shoulders sank.

"Wily's playing a clever game, isn't he? Found a hole in the system to exploit," said Bubble Man.

"Most of the ships he's hijacking are American," elaborated Splash Woman, turning toward Dr. Light and Mega Man. "By protocol, R.I.P. officers cannot actively look after them without permission from your president or if an attack is in progress, and by then it is too late. Meanwhile, there are not enough Pacific operations officers to watch all of the ships. Bubble Man and I are the only marine robot officers. We're the smallest team in R.I.P., and have a full-time job countering robo-crime committed by regular pirates."

"I have land duties as well," put in Tengu Man importantly.

"He must be using some sort of cloaking device to hide the ships," added Bubble Man, "—While he hides out in the deepest parts of the ocean in that whale-shaped submarine."

"Storms aren't unusual around here at this time of year, but it's difficult as to see what's a normal mist and what's an anomaly caused by him," said Tengu Man.

 _"_ We're having that trouble too," said Dr. Light. "If only we could get a constant bearing on his position.…"

"We can't just wait around for Wily to strike again, we gotta find him," said Mega Man. He turned to Tengu Man. "We can fly over this storm, why don't we look for clues from above?"

"I don't know what good that'll do, but sure, we can try it…that is, if you can keep up with me. My twin gyroscopic inertial thrusters alone cost twice as much as the Tokyo Dome."

"I've been wondering if that were what those were," said Dr. Light with great interest, striding over to Tengu Man. "And they achieve thrust without a propellant?"

Tengu Man seemed to like the attention. He turned his back to Dr. Light and fanned his wings. Mega Man wasn't sure if it was just the color of Tengu Man's armor, but he was reminded of a giant peacock.

"That's right, they operate using centrifugal compressor impellers instead of jet engines," said Tengu man.

"Cleaner for the environment," Bubble Man piped up approvingly.

"What a fascinating idea! But I wonder if this technology could be improved through the use of ionic wind?" Dr. Light mused. His eyes were twinkling.

Tengu Man shrugged. "You tell me."

"We should get going," broke in Mega Man.

Tengu Man shot him a scornful look. "I don't take orders from _you."_

"I think Mega Man has a good idea," said Splash Woman. "Unless you're able to locate stolen ships by preening on a boat, I suggest getting air-bound. We can all race to see who can find Wily or the stolen ships first: the flying or the swimming robots. Off you go now."

"As you like it," said Tengu Man, walking toward the side of the ship, the metal flaps on his wings opening. "I do take orders from _her,"_ he explained matter-of-factly to Mega Man. Then, without waiting, he leaped off the _Observer's_ deck. With a quiet puff of air that rustled the water, he streaked into the sky in a red blur. Mega Man exchanged a look with Dr. Light, finding Tengu Man's behavior rude, but Dr. Light just nodded in a can't-be-helped, as though to remind him to be patient with guests. Splash Woman watched Tengu Man go with a frown.

"Bubble Man and I will investigate from down below, the storm can't effect us there," she said to Dr. Light and Mega Man. She nodded at Bubble Man. "Please take the north side of the storm, I'll take the south."

"Sweet as," chirped Bubble Man. He jumped off the deck with a splash.

Splash Woman turned to Mega Man. "Let's join the same radio frequency so that we may all keep in contact. That way, if one of us finds something, we can alert the others."

"Will do," answered Mega Man.

Splash Woman smiled at them, then pushed herself off the railing and dove into the choppy waves with a flash of her long tail.

"Are you going to be alright with the storm coming in?" Mega Man asked Dr. Light.

"I'll have to pull back to a safe distance, but the _Observer_ should be able to outrun it," said Dr. Light. "Don't worry about me, I'll stay with the escort ships Admiral Haley assigned to protect me. Focus on finding Roll and stopping Dr. Wily."

"Alright, I'm on it," said Mega Man. "Rush, jetmode!"

* * *

After the Robot Masters had left to infiltrate the _Freedom_ , Dr. Wily and Proto Man returned the submarine to what had become Dr. Wily largest invention to date: t _he Warship Hunter._

An amalgam of stolen military vessels all harnessed together like a team of oxen, the Warship Hunter acted almost alive, but like a mechanical hybrid horror, each of its parts groaning in protest as though yearning to be an individual again. With each stolen ship, it grew. While it remained cloaked from long range surveillance techniques, the Warship Hunter was becoming too large to hide—not that this would matter much longer.

The Warship Hunter's bridge was roughly the size of a movie theater. Dr. Wily stood at a horseshoe-shaped master control panel at its center. Proto Man was at his left, a smaller radar display of the surrounding ocean perched in front of him on a stand, which Dr. Wily encouraged him to monitor. Ahead of them, four reprogrammed robo-helmsmen silently coordinated the movement of the armored ships.

As the Warship Hunter cruised across the ocean, Dr. Wily instructed Proto Man on the finer points of marauding at sea. He lectured on how best to order fleets, groom troops, trap and scatter humans, befuddle militaries, and choose the best siege points along coastlines.

Proto Man never minded when Dr. Wily tried to take him under his wing, and Dr. Wily never minded that Proto Man ignored him while he did this. Dr. Wily (like many evil dictators aspiring or otherwise) had no true wish to share power, so Proto Man's lack of ambition was secretly welcome.

"Everything is ready, Proto! Soon, no ship will be safe from my Floating Fortress of Doom!" Dr. Wily gloated. "My name will go down in pirating history! Blackbeard, Long John Silver…Captain Wily! Heh heh! Today the seven seas, tomorrow, the world!" He laughed again. "Full speed ahead!"

They plowed into the building storm, the bows of nineteen different ships cutting into the raging waves like a rake.

"A marvel of engineering! The _coup de grâce_ of naval warfare! Constantly in motion, constantly growing in power! Even combined, the armadas of Earth will never hope to oppose a Warship Hunter." Dr. Wily glanced at Proto Man expectantly, fishing for praise.

"Eh, it's alright Wily, but it's no jet fighter," said Proto Man. He yawned, wondering idly what time zone they were in now.

"This isn't as claustrophobic as a jet cockpit," Dr. Wily pointed out. "We have room to stretch, fifteen armored hulls to protect us, and _many_ more missiles to fire."

"Yeah, but try doing a barrel-roll in one of these things."

"You must think of the bigger picture," said Dr. Wily reverently. He wagged a finger at Proto Man. "Jet fighters are very dangerous for the pilot. It is little more than a thin aluminum box with flimsy wings strapped to a highly explosive rocket. As my second-in-command, it is important that you focus on self-preservation. You take too many unnecessary risks, I am always saying this. You need to be more careful."

"Yeah, sure," said Proto Man. Privately, he was bored. Though this mission had seemed fun at first, the long periods of downtime between ship captures were getting to him. "Hey, if you don't mind, I'm going to go check in on the Robot Masters. Just got a signal from Cut Man that they've finished docking our new battlecruiser. Comm me when you're ready to take another ship, okay?"

Dr. Wily waved him off, as content as a small child in front of a giant battleship game.

Proto Man exited the bridge to a thin corridor covered in pipes that connected to an adjoining ship's boiler room, took a left down a staircase, zig-zagged through a submarine's missile room, up another staircase, cut across the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, then through another corridor into the hull of the _Freedom._

Attack-bots, under the supervision of Guts Man and Cut Man, were herding the human marines that had not escaped from the _Freedom_ to where Dr. Wily was holding prisoners, separating officers from the enlisted men. Proto Man gave them a brief salute as he passed this procession, then sought out Elec Man.

He found him in the steering room with Bomb Man, who had just finished connecting the _Freedom's_ twenty-foot propeller into the Warship Hunter's master control grid.

"Bomb Man, go take inventory of this ship's ammunition," Proto Man ordered. "I need to see Elec Man for a bit."

Bomb Man cast them a curious look, but complied cheerfully. Elec Man looked up at Proto Man briefly then away, completely poker-faced, as though prepared for interrogation.

"So…how'd the mission go?" asked Proto Man lightly.

"Fine." Elec Man turned and walked out of the steering room. Proto Man followed him down a cramped corridor.

"Humans give you any trouble?"

"No."

"How about Mega Man? Did you take any damage with your fight with him?"

"No."

"And R.I.P. was no trouble either, right?" he asked as Elec Man pushed open the circular door into the crew's mess hall.

Elec Man seemed determined to avoid conversation, but his temper got the better of him. "What do you want? You've been on my case since we left Skull Fortress. Can't you trust me to do my job?"

Proto Man shrugged. "I'm not a very trusting person."

"I did exactly what Wily wanted, so quit bothering me so I can get back to my orders." He attempted to leave through the opposite door that lead to another corridor toward the _Freedom's_ communications room.

Proto Man blocked him, smiling. "Whoa, you actually _want_ to do your orders? Where's this new attitude coming from?"

Elec Man looked both cornered and annoyed. "I'm just trying to get this over with."

"Why? You _always_ root for us to fail. Now, as touching as it'd be if Wily finally won you over to his world domination cause, I know something else is going on. You can be a hard 'bot to read when you shut up, but I can tell right now you're more tightly wound than Astro Man. You weren't very happy that I wasn't coming to hijack the _Freedom_ , and you _hate_ me—"

"It's no secret you're the best fighter—" Elec Man countered evasively.

"Thanks, coming from you that means a lot! But why did you need me? You're equipped with _Thunder Beam_ and three other Robot Masters were with you. Didn't you think you could handle it on your own? Something about this mission has got you _scared._ "

"I'm not programmed to feel fear," Elec Man said hotly.

"You and I both know that's not true. Look, you hide it well. Take that as a compliment, I've seen 'bots more advanced than you dissolve into hysterics at the first sight of a plasma cannon…but you're still programmed with real emotions, just like every other Robot Master. Now, are you gunna tell me what's wrong?"

"What do you care?"

"You gotta answer me, Elec Man."

"Fine, you _want_ me to tell you?"

"Uh…yeah. You being all quiet instead of complaining about everything is really weird. Also, you know you're not allowed to hide stuff from us."

"I'm not hiding anything…" said Elec Man.

Though Proto Man could tell he was reluctant to share.

Elec Man stalled for another moment, then drew closer. "I have a design flaw in my construction," he said, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I can't withstand total submersion in water. I'll short circuit."

"…What? Like a walkman?" asked Proto Man sharply. "No way…Robot Masters don't short circuit in water, not like common human-owned electronics do."

Elec Man winced at his tone, but proceeded calmly. "The _Thunder Beam_ is too powerful to be hardwired into an android frame without a severe tradeoff," he said, holding up the palms of his hands. "I'm not _built_ for this kind of environment, if my circuits get waterlogged I'll lose control of my master weapon and it _will_ backfire."

Proto Man knew how devastating (and potentially lethal) a _Thunder Beam_ could be, especially an out of control one. "Shit…" he said, lowering his voice too. "Why didn't you tell me this back at Skull Fortress?"

"I would have, but you forbid me from talking about it."

"Yeah, but I didn't know you were trying to tell me _this_ —besides, I didn't think you'd _listen_ if it were something this important—I mean, nothing's stopped you from back-talking your orders before—"

"I can read you," Elec Man interrupted. "You don't care if Wily ever wins either. While I can't disobey Wily's orders, I can argue against them to you because you let me, but the moment it gets on your nerves…" Elec Man shrugged. "You wanted me to shut up, so I had to shut up."

Though clearly furious, Elec Man explained this patiently, as though too worn out to care anymore. It seemed he had obeyed the order under the assumption it wouldn't matter either way to Proto Man if Elec Man were destroyed. Proto Man's reputation for caring about the lives of others was about the same as a cat caring about storms on Titan. It didn't help that they had some bad blood.

But the truth was Proto Man had never thought about Elec Man actually getting destroyed during a mission before. Elec Man was too valuable to risk carelessly, but beyond that, they had known each other for awhile now. The thought of Elec Man's processors melting like burning film didn't sit right with him. Worse, he realized he had always underestimated the true extent that Dr. Wily's programming controlled Elec Man. Proto Man didn't like taking advantage of other's weaknesses, and he had accidentally taken advantage of two of Elec Man's. If one off-hand order could inadvertently cause _this…_

Proto Man shifted uncomfortably. "Right…then why didn't you tell Wily? He'd fix you."

"It's a _design flaw,"_ Elec Man emphasized again. "It _can't_ be fixed."

"But he _does_ know about this?"

" _Yes_ , why do you think he made so many structural alterations when he copied my weapon technology for Spark Man? Or why he originally excluded me from this mission—that is, until _you_ changed his mind."

"Well…it's no secret that you're our best Robot Master," answered Proto Man. "Definitely the smartest, probably the most dangerous. I told Wily it was a waste not to bring you on more missions, but if I had known about _this,_ I would have left you out of this one, I swear."

Elec Man gave him a long look.

"Look, I uh…get why you thought you had to follow that order—" said Proto Man carefully, "—but for future reference, you can tell me this stuff. I don't want you to get in a situation you can't walk away from. You're like the only one else with any real brains at Skull Fortress."

Elec Man was still studying him. His expression was difficult to read, though Proto Man imagined that was because he himself was being difficult to read. "…I'd appreciate if we kept my design flaw between us and Wily," Elec Man said finally. "This doesn't change anything."

"Yeah…no sweat…but how bad is this?" Proto Man couldn't help but ask. "Like…can't go underwater diving bad, or could-be-taken-down-by-a-kindergartner-with-a-super-soaker bad?"

"I can handle a little water," said Elec Man, "But not a lot."

Thunder boomed outside. Outside the Warship Hunter, a hurricane-force storm brewed. Elec Man shifted.

Proto Man hesitated. One of the crew had left a tattered box of playing cards behind in the mess hall. Their backs were illustrated with a lone coconut tree on a sunny beach.

"Wanna play a game?" he asked, showing the cards to Elec Man. "It'll help kill time."

Elec Man's eyes narrowed. Proto Man waited a moment, then tossed the box onto the table next to Elec Man.

"You're right, dumb idea." He stretched. "I'm gunna hit the hay until Wily wants me. But…I'll just be in the other room," he added over his shoulder, pointing toward the sleeping quarters. "Y'know...if anything happens."

"Got it," said Elec Man testily.

* * *

After Proto Man left, Elec Man picked up the box of cards and began turning them over in his hands absentmindedly.

Though the logical part of him doubted how an advanced-android's sleeping periods (which closely mirrored in function and duration to human sleep patterns) could be as efficient as a regular robot's hibernation mode, he did wonder if it was nice to have a daily escape from reality.

* * *

Roll heard a series of loud noises, like freight trains coupling together by ramming into each other. _Something_ was happening to the _Freedom_ , but from within the garbage chute it was impossible to tell _what._ She waited until the noise died down, then climbed spider-like up toward the deck of the ship to see what was happening.

She quietly pushed the door to the bridge's garbage chute open and peered outside. The bridge was empty, the navigational systems all displaying static. She crawled out, wiping the grime off her hands on the front of her jumpsuit pants, then crept over to the bay windows.

The ship appeared to be docked inside some sort of vast open structure, not unlike a domed warehouse, only much larger in diameter. On either side of the _Freedom,_ stolen warships were lined up in a row _,_ all bound together with cable-covered gangways. Robo-drones were busy welding the hull of the _Freedom_ into this system. Roll began to get the picture of what Dr. Wily was doing.

Careful to stay out of sight from the robo-drones, she opened the bridge's door, crouched low, and crept out. Between the storm slapping on the roof above, the echoing of the ship motors, and the rapids gushing underneath their hulls, the chance of being overheard was minimal.

She ducked behind a lifeboat just in time as Bomb Man suddenly emerged on deck and strode toward one of the _Freedom's_ gun turrets. She waited until he disappeared into its handling room, and was just about to make a break for the nearest gangway when another robot stepped into view.

The Robot Master was armored in titanium painted in wide alternating bands of black and yellow, her helmet adorned with antennae. She had a pixie-like frame with a pair of insectoid wings folded on her back, each as long as banana leaves, their black vein-like structure and translucent membrane resembled aged, off-white stained glass.

The Robot Master was looking around the deck anxiously as she tip-toed forward. Suddenly, a pair of attack-bots on patrol came round the other side of the bridge, stopping short at the sight of her. She froze.

"Hey, that robot shouldn't be here!" said one of the attack-bots. The duo raised its blasters, and the Robot Master took two steps back.

Roll grabbed a length of rigging that lay coiled next her and lassoed the attack-bots' feet with it. Then she yanked them across the deck toward her and quickly cut through their power cords with her utility arm, deactivating them. She motioned to the Robot Master to join her.

With a soft buzz, the Robot Master's wings beat together in a blur. She zoomed over and landed lightly next to Roll.

"Thank you!" said the Robot Master, her wings folding back down on her back.

"No problem. Are you an R.I.P. officer?" asked Roll.

"Yes. My name is Honey Woman—er— _Officer_ Honey Woman, officially, but most people just call me Honey Woman. Are you Roll?"

"Yeah—why didn't you fight off those guards? Don't you have a weapon?"

"No, I do…sort of…" Honey Woman began hesitantly. "But you see…I don't like to participate in violence. I prefer solving conflicts peacefully."

"'Solving conflicts peacefully' goes against the programmed logic of Wily's attack-bots. If you're not here to fight, then what are you here for?"

"To rescue the human hostages. You?"

Hostages? Did Dr. Wily have hostages? Roll _supposed_ she should help with that, but said, "I'm here to stop Wily."

Honey Woman nodded fervently as though this was to be expected.

"Honey Woman, have you seen Mega Man? Is he on the ship too?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen him."

Roll wished Honey Woman had a more concrete answer for her. She bit her lip, hoping Mega Man wasn't lying at the bottom of the ocean right now.

"Lucky I ran into you!" said Honey Woman, breaking Roll out of her train of thought. "I'm in heaps of trouble here on my own—but you saved the world with Enker. He said you were really good at stopping Wily."

Roll was flattered. "He did? Did he say anything else?"

Before Honey Woman could answer, the door to the handling room creaked open. Roll grabbed Honey Woman by the elbow and pulled her under a lifeboat as Bomb Man passed by again, carrying a crate of ammunition and humming the _1812 Overture._

"What next?" whispered Honey Woman.

Roll paused. She had been considering taking Bomb Man out, but that seemed risky out here in the open. While it might take Dr. Wily awhile to notice a few missing attack-bots, a missing Robot Master was a different story.

"Well, we're outnumber and trapped on this… _thing,_ so the best thing would be to stay out of sight. I've been using the ship's garbage chutes to get around without Wily's bots finding me."

"…Oh?"

"I don't have it fully mapped out yet, but it must dump out into some sort of repository somewhere, connecting everything together. That way, you can find the hostages, and I can figure out how to stop Wily's plan."

Roll removed the attack-bots memory chips and hid their bodies under the life boat, then darted across the deck.

Honey Woman hesitated, still stuck on the idea of crawling through a garbage chute. "It's going to be gross," she said to herself bracingly. "Just try to think of it as a relaxing mud bath like the humans like, not like you're going through a mixture of pitch, sludge, chemical residue, rust, and other less sanitary refuse from the ship," she added.

"Honey Woman, hurry up before we're seen!" Roll hissed.

"Coming!"

* * *

Along the outskirts of the storm, the oil tanker _Sea Glory_ drifted, cut off from its intended route toward Oregon and stuck in a cloud of mist. Captain Bopp vigilantly scanned the white wall around his tanker through a pair of marine binoculars, when something as vast as a volcanic island materialized before him, no farther than a mile from the prow.

"What on Earth is that?" he declared, dropping the binoculars to cross-reference with his naked eye with what he had seen through the lens. Both he and his first mate looked down at the bridge's radar maps, where green flecks, like phosphorescent snow, flitted across a black screen, then back up at the drifting island of steel in disbelief. It had crept up on them without triggering any sensor, as if it had no more substance than a shadow. At the rate it was approaching, they'd soon collide.

"Reverse engines! It's headed straight for us!" Captain Bopp shouted at his first mate. He snatched at the intercom attached to the computer console. "Radio room, send an S.O.S.!"

* * *

From above, the storm looked like at an endless mound of dark gray couch lint sitting on the ocean, the occasional flashes of lightening like static bursts. Staring at the shifting clouds too long seemed to play tricks on the eyes, giving Mega Man a slight headache. He found searching the storm to be tedious and much less fruitful than he had hoped, and was glad to have the R.I.P. officers for company. Tengu Man hadn't said much except to report positions of ships he was picking up on the horizon to Splash Woman and Bubble Man, and Splash Woman and Bubble Man kept talking to a minimal to avoid sonar detection, but their presence helped break up the monotony and keep his spirits up.

Despite the military orders warning ships away, there were still many vessels in the ocean. Mega Man was beginning to see the difficulty the small R.I.P. team was experiencing in the guarding ships.

Meanwhile, he couldn't get his mind off Roll's whereabouts. After two long, cold hours of searching, he had become restless.

"She's out there, Rush, I know it!" he muttered. "Roll's as tough as titanium!"

Rush's ears perked upward and began spinning at their bases, functioning as small parabolic antennae. He gave a short bark, alerting Mega Man's attention, then his nose began to beep in a steady pattern.

"Good going, boy! You're picking up a morse code message!" said Mega Man, excited. He paused to listen. "Under attack, longitude negative one sixty-two, latitude thirty-five! Let's fly!"

* * *

Dr. Wily called Proto Man back to the control room as the Warship Hunter encroached upon its latest prey. They jammed all of the _Sea Glory's_ tracking equipment, and were in the middle of jamming its communication too.

"That tanker is filled with oil, black gold—and it's all mine!" cheered Dr. Wily. "Reel her in, Proto."

Proto Man nodded and pressed a button on his radar display. Outside, the ships in front shunted apart, like a gate opening, the ocean rushing into the gap.

* * *

A ray of green light swept over the tanker. The ship began to vibrate, the bulkheads thundering together like the walls of a old washing machine.

"We're being pulled in by some powerful magnetic force!" shouted Captain Bopp as he and his crew clamored for something steady to hold onto.

* * *

Mega Man passed along the message Rush had intercepted to the R.I.P. officers, and they all agreed to head toward the coordinates without delay. As he and Tengu Man came up to the northwestern edge of the storm, Mega Man knew without a doubt that they had found Dr. Wily.

Through the waning mist below, they could see all the battleships locked together like planks of an enormous raft heaped with guns, guns, and more guns. Several towers rose from the center like ominous black skyscrapers. The giant watercraft looked both dangerous and well fortified. Ahead of it, a tractor beam pulled an enormous oil tanker toward an opening in its middle, like a great water beast sucking food toward its mouth.

"So that's what Wily wanted with all those ships," called Mega Man to Tengu Man as they circled the ships. "Let's blast our way into that metal monster and rip its guts out!"

"That tanker is big as," murmured Bubble Man anxiously. "Would be heaps of trouble if she were to spill…"

"Yeah, you blast that ship, _you're_ doing the clean up," said Tengu Man.

"That will do, Tengu Man," said Splash Woman crisply. "Mega Man, please be cautious. It would be a pity to turn the natural ecosystem here into a giant rorschach blot."

Mega Man knew that the R.I.P. officers kept up with the news, and therefore must be familiar with the collateral damage his missions against Dr. Wily tended to attract. He found the rebuke annoying, but warranted given his history. "Well, let's get a closer look, anyway," he said, dropping altitude.

* * *

"We've caught a big one, Proto!" crowed Dr. Wily as the tanker took its place at the center in the Warship Hunter. "—And it's only the beginning! Now, nothing can stop us from plundering the World's shipping lanes!"

"Except for maybe Mega Man," said Proto Man nonchalantly.

Dr. Wily's face fell. "Mega Man?" He spun toward the bridge's surveillance feed, which had trained in on a clear sighting of Mega Man. "Impossible!"

"Looks like nothing you've got can stop him, Doc," said Proto Man. He wasn't surprised, and even felt a stir of pride at his brothers' timing.

Dr. Wily's eyes glittered. " _Oh yeah?_ How about eighty laser cannons, fifty missile launchers and (heh heh heh) two dozen pulse power photon neutralizers?"

* * *

Mega Man noticed all of the guns on the giant watercraft below were moving, like hairs of an ugly bug standing on end, and they were all pointed at _him._ Then, the air seemed to explode.

The closest experience Mega Man could compare this to was like being at one of the rock concerts Roll dragged him too, where the strobe-like stage lighting swept over the crowd, both blinding and dazzling—only these beams could pierce the hulls of enemy ships.

"Shit! Shit!" Mega Man heard Tengu Man hissing as he darted around the lasers like a kite under assault by a hail storm. He and Rush were not much better off.

"What's happening?" asked Splash Woman over their communicators.

"Looks like we might have a tiny bit of resistance!" answered Mega Man as Rush spiraled around a laser.

"Drew some aggro up there, aye?" asked Bubble Man.

"Hold steady, we're on our way," said Splash Woman.

"Don't bother, we're about to be blown up like paper targets at a shooting range!" snapped Tengu Man as he weaved through a barrage of photon neutralizer blasts, attempting to lose two missiles that were tailing him. "No offense, but bubbles and tridents aren't going to cut it against this—this—"

"He calls it 'The Warship Hunter,'" said Bubble Man helpfully.

"How do you know that?!" demanded Tengu Man.

"It's written on the bottom of the hull. Strange as he's labeled it."

"Tengu Man, Mega Man, please fall back, it's too dangerous to continue," said Splash Woman. "We need to report this back to Headquarters!"

Tengu Man shot upward like a rocket, but Mega Man and Rush darted forward into the thick of the laser fire.

"Hey, what are you doing!" called Tengu Man over his communicator.

Mega Man couldn't spare time for a reply. As Rush careened through the assault, he shot rapidly at the cannons aimed at them, which exploded into balls of flame. The heat of the lasers surrounded them was intense, for a split second he feared that might not make it—but then they were through, and at too close of range for the guns to continue targeting them.

They landed on a narrow gundeck next to a vaulted door in one of the Warship Hunter's towers. He traced the low grade super steel with his fingers.

"Now to cut our way in!" he said to himself. He set his blaster to a low setting, then began to slowly carve out a rectangle in the door with a constant stream of plasma.

* * *

"Guts Man, Bomb Man!" Dr. Wily screamed into the radio, slamming his hands down on the control console. "It's Mega Man! Punch him to pieces, blow him to bits! _Pulverize him!"_

* * *

"I was hoping Time Man was exaggerating when he warned me how difficult Mega Man could be," said Splash Woman, her tail beating the water furiously as she paced below the Warship Hunter, her neck craned upward, straining to see what was happening on deck.

"Well, you know Time Man. He never exaggerates," said Bubble Man.

_Ping._

They both immediately flattened against the hull of the Warship Hunter at the sound of the sonar pulse.

"Dive Man, probably Wave Man too," whispered Bubble Man after a moment. "Don't think they found us, yet. Too much sound interference surrounding the ships. You reckon we fight them?"

"No time, we need to leave _now,"_ hissed Splash Woman. "This situation has escalated beyond our control. Even Duo couldn't tackle Wily's ship head on. I don't want to leave Mega Man behind, but if we don't see him within the next five minutes, we won't have a choice."

* * *

"Almost through, boy!" murmured Mega Man, his rectangle nearly complete.

Suddenly, the vaulted door sprang out at him with the force of a battering ram.

"Bon Voyage!" Guts Man called cheerily.

Mega Man and Rush plummeted over the deck. They fell two stories before Mega Man caught the tip of a laser cannon with one hand and Rush's tail with the other.

"That was a close one, boy," said Mega Man as the vaulted door plunged into the waves.

"Come down and join the party!" Bomb Man called from a steel catwalk below. "It's gunna be a blast!"

He tossed a _Hyper Bomb_ at them. Mega Man let go just in time as it hit the laser cannon, exploding on impact and shattering the gun turret like glass. They landed on the catwalk in front of Bomb Man. Behind them, Guts Man burst through a second armored door that he had ripped from its hinges.

Both Robot Master advanced slowly, Guts Man carrying the blast-proof door like a ballistic shield, Bomb Man cradling another _Hyper Bomb_ in his large hand.

"Looks like we're caught between a robot and a hard place!" muttered Mega Man.

"You're Mega-dust!" sneered Bomb Man, winding up to throw the _Hyper Bomb_ with a strong overhand pitch.

"Dive!" Mega Man commanded to Rush as he fired at Guts Man's door while stepping off the catwalk. As they fell toward the water, he saw the golden plasma blast rebound off the door and strike Bomb Man, knocking him onto his back and forcing him to drop the _Hyper Bomb._

* * *

"Ha! Missed me!" Guts Man shouted triumphantly as Mega Man and Rush disappeared into the ocean.

A soft hissing noise caught his attention. He only had a second to look down and contemplate the loose _Hyper Bomb_ that had rolled up to his feet before it exploded.

* * *

After hitting the water, Rush switched over to marine mode and carried Mega Man away with both Splash Woman and Bubble Man close behind. They were not pursued by any of Dr. Wily's forces. At a safe distance, Mega Man surfaced and watched the Warship Hunter drift away.

Tengu Man hovered a few feet above them, wiping futilely at the black streaks the laser fire had left in his armor. "Gross! It'll take forever to buff this all out," he complained loudly.

"Poor Honey Woman and Roll, I wish they were out here with us instead of trapped in there," said Bubble Man miserably.

"At least Wily can't hide now," said Splash Woman.

"We've got to find another way into that thing," said Mega Man. "C'mon, let's meet back at the _Observer_. _"_

_**To be continued...** _


	7. Terror of the Seven Seas, Part 4

On the back wall of the Warship Hunter's bridge, Roll had the door of the garbage chute cracked open by the width of a pencil. She had an unobstructed view of the backs of Proto Man and Dr. Wily at the control panel. Beyond them lay a large screen, where she was able to watch Mega Man's attempt at breaking into the _Warship Hunter._

 _He's okay,_ Roll thought, relieved. _Sorta…_ she added as the Warship Hunter opened fire on him, briefly blanketing the video feeds in white.

Dr. Wily had been cackling during the entire assault. "I knew even Mega Man couldn't penetrate my floating fortress," he told Proto Man as Mega Man retreated after facing Bomb Man and Guts Man on the starboard side. "Now, we search for another ship, Proto! Nothing can stand between me and my good fortune!"

Roll smirked. _We'll see about that, Wily!_

She let the chute door fall shut and slid down several floors, reemerging in a maintenance closet crammed with buckets and dirty mops where Honey Woman waited for her.

"Who else from R.I.P. was with you before you got separated?" Roll asked after she relayed what she had seen in the bridge.

"Splash Woman, Tengu Man, and Bubble Man."

Roll didn't recognize any of these officers. "Oh, that's it? Doesn't a sergeant usually run these missions?"

"Right, that's Splash Woman."

"Oh." Roll remembered Enker had said that there were two other Roboter International Police sergeants, and realized she shouldn't be so surprised he wasn't here. "So only four of you. Two marine officers…?"

"Yeah, Splash Woman and Bubble Man are swimmers, Tengu Man and I fliers," Honey Woman paused, her face falling. "I stayed behind while Tengu Man went rushing off after something," she said, twisting the hem of the titanium tunic guiltily. "I should have told him what I was doing. It all happened so fast, I didn't think I'd get stuck…" she trailed off.

"I left Mega Man out there. He could have been hurt, or worse…" Roll shared, sympathizing. "I didn't know if I made the right decision, but I remembered something. If anything ever happens to Mega Man, I'm next in line for defense against Wily. It was a tough call…But it worked out okay so I've stopped worrying and moved on," she ended cheerfully.

"What now then?" asked Honey Woman.

"I have an idea, but we gotta stay hidden in these garbage chutes a little longer."

"I'll manage," Honey Woman replied, wrinkling her nose.

* * *

Mega Man, Splash Woman, Bubble Man, and Tengu Man returned to the _Observer_ where Dr. Light was waiting for them with Admiral Haley.

Admiral Haley had not wanted to leave the _Freedom_ in the clutches of the Bad-bots, but he knew that both he and his crew served more than just one ship. When the Captain of the _Freedom_ saw an opportunity for escape on one of the lifeboats, the Admiral Haley had no choice but to leave immediately. Only half of the crew had escaped the _Freedom_ with him _._ Admiral Haley saluted the R.I.P. officers as they boarded the _Observer_ , and they saluted back.

Mega Man described the Warship Hunter to Dr. Light and Admiral Haley while Splash Woman made a similar report to Ra Thor over her communicator a little further down the deck.

"Even the Lunar Laser couldn't stop that thing!" Admiral Haley remarked to Dr. Light, astonished.

 _"_ I hope Roll is okay. She always gets so close to danger. Mega Man usually looks out for her, but without him there…" Dr. Light trailed off.

Admiral Haley gave him a sad, knowing smile. "She reminds me of my daughter. She's training to be in the special forces, like her mom. It's always hard watching them grow up, but at the same time I couldn't be more proud to see what she has become and what she can do for the world. Like any parent, the only thing I worry about with her is dating."

Dr. Light chuckled. "Well, that's something I haven't had to worry about."

Mega Man wondered what Dr. Light would think if he found out Roll _was_ interested in dating, but decided not to bring this up now.

"It's a shame that we can not run a joint operation with our international allies," said Dr. Light, looking over at the group of R.I.P. officers, who were gathered at the bow of the _Observer_. Rush bounded playfully around Tengu Man.

Admiral Haley nodded. "The Navy doesn't take political bias, so I won't weigh in what happens on Capitol Hill, but privately, I agree with you. Yet, who knows…any more assaults by Dr. Wily like this, things may change."

"You mean America would reenter the Convention to Combat Global Robo-crime?" asked Dr. Light.

"Would take time, and some political sway, pushing back against some of Senator King's initiatives…" Admiral Haley shrugged. "But countering a threat this big requires coordinated teamwork. I suspect even Senator King would have trouble finding an argument against that."

* * *

An attack-bot guard stood outside a door marked 'Computer Room.' A twisting trail of dark smoke snaked past its ionization detector. Its eyes lit up as its standby mode switched over to active subroutines.

"My sensors detect smoke," it commented aloud. It crossed the tiled hallway, its hand reaching toward the handle of a nearby garbage chute as smoke curled out of its edges in a gray wreath. "—And where there is smoke, there is—"

The garbage chute's door swung open as Roll popped out like a jack-in-the-box, her toaster cannon drawn. _"Fire!"_

The guard was blasted back through the computer room's door. Roll leaped through the hole after him, blaster still drawn, checking the corners for other robots. Honey Woman stepped inside after her, her eyes on the sparking attack-bot.

"Wow, um. That was violent."

The computer room was dim. A computer tower sat in its center, a circular console wrapped around its base, wide enough for ten chairs to surround it.

"Any good at hacking into mainframes?" asked Roll as they raced over to the green backlit controls.

"Yeah, nah, I'm more of an outdoorsy bot. Camping and recon, search and rescue, stakeouts, tracking, that sort of thing. This looks basic enough though, just gotta figure out the password for username 'KungFuCutMan.'

"Is he serious? Try 'KnifeHandStrike,' a.k.a. 'karate chop.'"

"…It worked!"

"Good. I'll watch your back. We gotta send Dr. Light the scoop on this floating junk heap!"

* * *

The main computer of the _Observer's_ bridge began beeping. Dr. Light stepped over to its keyboard.

"A transmission—the schematics to Wily's fortress!"

"I bet it's from Roll! Way to go sis!" said Mega Man, pumping his fist.

"They're headed north toward the Aleutian Islands," murmured Dr. Light.

Admiral Haley's eyes flashed at this news. "That'll bring him close to some of our military bases!"

"Russian bases as well," said Tengu Man.

"This is a very complicated," mused Dr. Light as he scrolled through the schematics. "He has all the ships hooked up into a central control system."

"It must have a weakness somewhere," said Mega Man.

"I hope you're right, Mega Man. I'll begin analysis right away."

"Can we get a copy for the Navy technicians to look over?" asked Admiral Haley.

"Inspector Headley would be interested in a copy for R.I.P. too," Splash Woman called through the open door.

* * *

"I think they got it," said Honey Woman as she leaned in toward the monitor. "I'm just going to make sure no one sees what we have done…"

"Better cut that out, circuit skirt—or I'll have to cut you down to size!" Cut Man had walked in through the attack-bot shaped hole in the door. A drawn _Rolling Cutter_ glinted at his wrist. "No one cuts into Dr. Wily's computer!"

He fired two _Rolling Cutters_ at them. They flew ten feet before swerving off course as Roll sucked them up with the Shop-Vac attachment of her arm. She fired them back at a steel beam above Cut Man's head. The _Rolling Cutters_ sliced a seven-foot length, which crashed down on Cut Man, knocking him flat.

"Cleaned up this mess," said Roll, shrugging at Honey Woman with a smug smile.

"Do you guys always trade puns and one-liners while fighting?" asked Honey Woman, raising a brow as she stood up from the computer.

By 'you guys,' Roll understood she meant Mega Man, herself, and the Bad-Bots. "No, not always," Roll protested, suddenly feeling dweeby and wishing she hadn't been lumped into that group. Way for Mega Man to rub off on her!

"…I was only gone for a minute," said a voice behind them.

Honey Woman and Roll jumped. Elec Man had entered the room silently. He was looking down to where Cut Man laid sprawled underneath the beam, his eyes still rolling loosely around in their sockets like marbles.

"Oh, I'm sorry…upset that we're messing up Wily's plans?" said Roll sweetly.

"No, I'm not upset, because I do not care." A _Thunder Beam_ was charging in his palm.

Roll nudged Honey Woman. "Run."

"What?"

The _Thunder Beam_ jumped to Elec Man's other hand in a brilliant arc. Honey Woman grabbed Roll's left elbow. Roll's feet lifted from the ground as Honey Woman's wings buzzed together. They flew through the open door on the other side of the computer room just as a string of electricity crackled through the air, narrowly missing them.

"Who is that robot?" Honey Woman asked as they shot down a submarine hallway that was barely wider than her wingspan.

"Elec Man. I've beaten him before. His defenses are pretty weak for a Robot Master, but one hit from _Thunder Beam_ will fry your circuits, and he's fast— _Very fast,"_ she added as Elec Man skidded into the corridor after them. They whipped around a corner just in time as a _Thunder Beam_ blasted the bulkhead behind them _. "_ Keep moving!"

They turned into a wider corridor lined with caged lights, Elec Man close behind. A _Thunder Beam_ struck one of the lights on the ceiling, which exploded and plunged a section of the corridor into darkness. Another hit a pressure gauge, creating a shower of sparks.

Roll fired back with circular saws as Honey Woman flew in an erratic pattern like a dragonfly to avoid the bursts of electricity flashing all around them. Meanwhile, Elec Man was evading the flying saws without getting cut, ducking behind boxes or open doors before counterattacking. They were playing a line of sight game, each one taking cover between firing.

"He's being a serious pain in the ass right now…I can't hit him," Roll called to Honey Woman. "I'm wasting all my blades and the whole ship will soon be alert." Roll fired again, breaking a water pipe on the ceiling, which caused Elec Man to drop back, then looked over her shoulder, an idea forming. "In there!" she said pointing toward a door at the end of the hallway.

Honey Woman put Roll down on the tiled floor. They darted into the room, and shut the door silently behind them.

* * *

Bomb Man had swung open one of the vaulted ship doors and was about to step through it when something sped by the doorway—a robot with insect-like wings barreling down the cramped ship corridor like a helicopter. It looked like it was carrying another robot, like some sort of aerobatic stunt.

He paused, his face stretching downward into a nonplussed expression with raised brows. Something black had streaked past in pursuit of the first two figures as Bomb Man decided to investigate.

At the end of the corridor stood Elec Man, his ear pressed to the closed door of an equipment room.

"Hey, did you see those robots go past?" asked Bomb Man. "I think one of them was Roll!"

Elec Man nodded curtly. "Bomb Man, can you help me out?"

"Sure, whatcha need?"

Elec Man jerked a thumb toward the closed door.

Bomb Man caught his drift. "I dunno, Elec Man, that seems kinda mean…but all right!"

Elec Man kicked open the door and Bomb Man tossed a _Hyper Bomb_ inside. They flattened on either side of the doorway as a blast of fire shot through the opening, knocking the door its hinges. As the smoke cleared, they looked inside. The equipment lay in smoldering heaps, paneling from the bulkheads hung loosely from the walls, and there was a shallow crater in the floor.

"We trashed her!" announced Bomb Man.

Elec Man gave the wreckage a quick, disinterested scan before nodding.

* * *

As Elec Man and Bomb Man's footsteps faded down the corridor outside, the hatch to the garbage chute creaked open.

"Ha! fooled those dopes," Roll snickered as she peered outside. She closed the hatch and crawled down the shaft to the floor below where Honey Woman was waiting for her. "That'll take the heat off us for awhile," she said as Honey Woman pulled her out of the chute.

* * *

Splash Woman sat next to Dr. Light at his computer, her long tail curled around the base of a rolling chair. The rest stood behind them, slightly crowded in the _Observer's_ small bridge as they looked through the Warship Hunter's schematics.

A video conference had been set up with Inspector Headley. It was three in the morning at the Robot International Police headquarters in Copenhagen. Though his three-piece suit still looked freshly pressed and his hair was neatly combed back, a five-o-clock shadow was creeping around his thin mustache. He was looking down at his own monitor, a pint-sized mug of steaming tea in one hand, Ra Thor at his side.

"We can't attack it, not directly. It has too much firepower and too strong of defenses," he said.

"Don't forget he's got hostages aboard the stolen ships," added Bubble Man.

"We also _can't_ let him reach the Aleutian Islands," said Admiral Haley, his brows furrowing. "He'll overrun our bases, we won't be able to fight him off!"

"I'm deploying all available officers and Duo to assist in their defense," said Inspector Headley. "But I'm not optimistic of their chances. We're not prepared for an attack of this scale. Once Wily starts his attack, it may be all over for us, and his next targets may be civilian ones."

"We must stop him soon if we are to stop him at all," put in Dr. Light.

Splash Woman leaned in thoughtfully. "Wily doesn't know we have these plans, correct? Perhaps we could break into the Warship Hunter while we still have the element of surprise. Look here, the way has been marked. There's an underwater entry point on the stern side of the hull," She pointed a white-gloved at the screen. "On sonar, the Warship Hunter might pick us up, but more likely it will not. Robots are smaller than ships, and make it harder for to make contact. We could go by undetected."

"One problem," said Mega Man. "Wave Man and Dive Man will be guarding from below. There's no way we're getting in close without Dive Man picking us up on _his_ sonar, then _he'll_ alert Wily. It'll cost us our element of surprise, he may even seal off this entry point."

"Leave Wave Man and Dive Man to Bubble Man and I."

"It'll still be dangerous," said Mega Man. "If Wily knows we're there, he'll treat us to enough torpedoes to blow up an island. If this is going to work, we'll need to _guarantee_ Wily's eyes are off us." He looked up at Tengu Man, who had his arms folded over his chest. "If you could distract him from the air for a little while, that might do the trick. I know he'd _love_ to have a Robot Master like you one his side."

Tengu Man regarded him flatly. "Yeah, I bet he would, but you really expect me to degrade myself by becoming live bait? Against _that_ thing?" he emphasized, sweeping a hand toward the schematics.

"Mega Man's right," said Splash Woman. "Our best chance is to divide Dr. Wily's attention from both above and below so he won't notice what is happening inside. We must slow him down from capturing more ships or reaching the military bases."

"No problem, Splash Woman, I can do that," said Tengu Man importantly. Mega Man found this about-face a little immature, and was a bit surprised he had acted this way in front of both the Superintendent _and_ the Inspector of the Robot International Police.

But if Inspector Headley had been phased by this behavior, he didn't show it. "Very well," he said. "I'm going to direct Duo and other R.I.P. officers off the coast of Russia. Many of the other navies have deployed ships in that water, and while I can't say that this is wise against the unique threat Wily has posed, I daresay I can't blame them either. I assume the American military will secure their front as well." He and Admiral Haley shared a grim look. "Ra Thor, please supervise the rest of this mission against this 'Warship Hunter.'"

Inspector Headley exited the view of the camera, taking his tea with him and leaving Ra Thor behind. Admiral Haley also wished them good luck and left to lead the American Navy's countermeasures.

"The marine suit is fully operational again," Dr. Light told Mega Man.

"Perfect timing." Mega Man crouched to pat Rush on the head. "It's gunna be dangerous, boy. Stay here and look after Dr. Light."

Rush wagged his tail.

* * *

Dr. Light equipped Mega Man with an underwater speech transmitter so he could communicate with Splash Woman, Tengu Man, and Bubble Man as they sped away from the _Observer_ at a depth of two hundred feet.

"Warship Hunter has altered course three degrees east," Tengu Man announced. "Closing in on a Royal Navy patrol boat. Will start the airstrike at your command, Splash Woman."

"Hold tight," answered Splash Woman. "We're still maneuvering into position."

"Thanks again for running a distraction, Tengu Man," said Mega Man.

"You don't need to _thank_ me for doing my job," Tengu Man replied dryly.

Splash Woman swam on ahead while Bubble Man swam beside Mega Man, his arms at his side as he kicked with his feet, easily keeping pace with the marine suit's engine.

 _"_ Don't mind Tengu Man back there," he said privately to Mega Man. He had a deep, rustic voice, which Mega Man found charming. "He gives most bots attitude like that. Of the three Sergeants, he'll only take orders from Splash Woman. He likes to whinge a bit and reminds everyone his tech is expensive as, but it's all show. He's a good officer, loyal and brave as they come, and between you and me, he's secretly a big softie. Volunteers to do paper crafts at children's hospitals."

Mega Man smiled. "Thanks for saying that. Sometimes I think I rub police officers the wrong way."

"Well I like you," said Bubble Man. "'Course, I like just about everyone. Except for Wily…then again, I never met the bloke, but with him being a criminal mastermind with loony inventions, it _seems_ like I wouldn't like him. Still, I'd want to be fair, and not judge someone before I meet 'em…"

They traveled for another minute, crossing a mile without a single change in scenery other than shifting light on the surface above.

"This probably goes without saying, but neither Splash Woman nor I will be able to join you aboard the Warship Hunter," said Bubble Man. "We're both true blue swimmers. We can manage above water, but the ocean is our playground."

"You know, I kinda prefer swimming myself," said Mega Man. "This is my first time out diving. The ocean is great, I could spend a week out here."

Bubble Man made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a sigh, and flipped over on his back, crossing his arms behind his head. "Yeah, naaah…out here? Nothing but dirty container ships above and a boat graveyard down below. Shallow waters are much prettier. Dunno how much time you get off from fighting Wily, but if you like diving, you gotta come back out. I patrol near most of the South Pacific Islands. Water clear as air, and there are heaps of colorful fish. I'll show you around. I know all the good spots."

"I'd really like that," said Mega Man.

Splash Woman had returned. They were within a mile of the Warship Hunter.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Mega Man asked them.

Bubble Man shrugged. "I'll pretend to be you in your metal togs—" he gestured at Mega Man's marine suit, "Lead them on a goose chase, you'll sneak in, and Bob's your uncle."

"I'll join you as soon as I've seen Mega Man inside," Splash Woman said to Bubble Man.

"Sweet as," Bubble Man replied, and he disappeared in a trail of silvery bubbles.

Splash Woman held up her communicator to her mouth. "Okay Tengu Man, _now."_

* * *

"We're closing in on another ship!" Dr. Wily gloated, his eyes glued hungrily to the overhead video feed of the ocean beyond the Warship Hunter, a patrol boat steadily growing on the horizon. "Nothing can stop us now!"

A red blur streaked across the screen. It dropped several devices onto the Warship Hunter that on impact opened to create miniature tornados that raced along the gun decks. Next to Dr. Wily's elbow, the intercom was beeping. Dr. Wily switched it on.

"Dr. Wily! There is a flying robot circling the Warship Hunter!" exclaimed Cut Man.

"I can _see_ that Cut Man," said Dr. Wily dryly. He turned off the intercom. "I've read about this robot," he said to Proto Man. "His name is Tengu Man. He's one of the Robot International Police's Robot Masters. His model is state of the art…Strange that he has been deployed him out here by himself. Surely even those heroic fools have calculated their chance by now? Helmsmen! Engage in countermeasures!"

The four robo-helmsmen silently complied. Outside, the Warship Hunter's guns began swiveling on their turrets, firing at Tengu Man.

The intercom was beeping again. Dr. Wily sighed and picked it up.

"What is it Dive Man?"

"Dr. Wily, just got visual of something swimming near the bow of the _Freedom_. Looks like Mega Man in his marine gear again," answered Dive Man. Proto Man cocked his head toward the intercom. "Hang on, it just swam off to the other side—"

"Take care of him," Dr. Wily cut him off, his eyes narrowing. "You and Wave Man are faster and stronger than Light's pathetic robotic scuba suit. Don't fail this time. If Mega Man sneaks aboard the Warship Hunter, I will hold you responsible."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Dive Man and Wave Man are on my tail, bearing west by southwest, go quickly," Bubble Man said over Mega Man and Splash Woman's communicators.

The shadow of the Warship Hunter was over them. It was like a storm cloud above, they couldn't see the other end through the murky water. They swam forward, pushing against a strong current that pulled them toward the Warship Hunter's forest of propellers, counting the barnacle encrusted hulls of ships as they passed by, until they were below a circle of faint blue light where scrap metal was being dumped into the ocean at regular intervals.

"That's my entrance," said Mega Man.

"You're all clear. Good luck!"

She departed, her silhouette looking once again uncannily like a dolphin as she faded into the green water.

Carefully timing his ascent so he didn't end up with a face full of trash, Mega Man swam through the opening. He peered over the lip of the hatch. He had surfaced into an indoor junkyard, with mountains of rusted steel plating, damaged computer terminals, empty oil drums, loose gears and wheels, and other bits of rubbish heaped in silvery piles. A bucket crane operating from its overhead track zig-zagged around the repository, taking great scoops from the tops of the scrap metal pile and carrying them to the opening. Otherwise, all was still, none of Dr. Wily's forces in sight.

Mega Man pulled himself out of the water and stepped onto the oil-stained checker plate floor as quietly as possible. He detached the pieces of his marine suit and lay them in a neat stack near the hatch, obscured from prying eyes by tangles of debris that had fallen from the bucket crane and missed the opening.

Just as he replaced his helmet after removing the fin, he heard a faint rolling sound, like an empty energy can that had been accidentally kicked. Someone or something was sneaking closer. Mega Man drew a blaster and stood up with his back to a mound of broken storage crates, sensing an entity on the other side. He rounded the corner, his blaster raised.

Roll jumped at the sight of the blaster, then broke out into a grin. "Mega!"

"Sis! Am I glad to see you!" said Mega Man, letting his blaster reform into a hand as he hugged her.

He hastily pulled away. She smelled like the bottom of a dumpster.

"Um…what have you been doing?"

"Sorry, we had to take a trip through the rubbish chute to get here," said a voice behind Roll. A Robot Master in black and gold striped titanium armor walked hurriedly past. She took a quick dip in the water, then reemerged, shook out her wings, and landed next to them. An R.I.P. badge was pinned to the front of her titanium tunic.

"You must be Honey Woman. Your team was worried about you," Mega Man said as Roll also took her turn to plunge into the water to clean up. "Dr. Light is analyzing the schematics you sent over," he said as Roll reemerged, sopping wet. "In the meantime, we need to knock out their communication jamming."

* * *

"Nehheh! Another ship for my collection!" cackled Dr. Wily as the Warship Hunter's tractor beam pulled in the patrol boat. He would place it at the end of his row of stolen ships. A small prize to claim, but few of the bigger ships dared stray close to the Warship Hunter now—but that didn't matter. Soon he'd be hunting military _bases._ Outside, Tengu Man was swooping the Warship Hunter like a magpie to no avail. A nuisance, but not much more. _"_ You know, I think this has been my best plan yet!" he said to Proto Man.

"For once, Doc, I agree with you."

The computer console beeped. A dying attack-bot captain from the communications room was calling him.

"Meg—gah—Man—has— _nnn_ — _dzzz_ — _nnn_ —pena—trated— _nnn_ — _zzz_ —for—tress— _nnn_ — _dzzz_ —Mega…Mega…Mega…"

Dr. Wily's face fell. _"What?_ Mega Man? Aboard my fortress?! Impossible!"

"Heh! Mega doesn't know the word impossible," said Proto Man.

"Well then, I will teach it to him!" He picked up the Warship Hunter's intercom. "Calling all robots: crush that Mega pest!" He slammed the intercom back into its cradle. "Curse that blue dweeb…he ruins everything! May his titanium skeleton rust at the bottom of the Mariana trench!"

"Sorry Doc, even perfect plans hit snags," said Proto Man, leaving his monitor and walking toward the bridge's door.

"Where are you going?" Dr. Wily called after him.

"If Mega Man's here, I'm going after him."

"If you screw this up…"

"I gotta, Wily, he's my brother…who better than me knows how to destroy him?"

Dr. Wily watched him go, a tick pounding in his forehead. He snatched up the intercom.

"Dive Man, Wave Man! You failed to stop Mega Man from slipping past your notice?!"

"We'll get him Dr. Wily," said Dive Man.

"He's fast, _real_ fast!" put in Wave Man.

"Mega Man is not out there, you idiots! He is aboard the Warship Hunter!"

"But—"

"You are being fooled by an R.I.P. robot. I don't know why I bothered bringing you. You're bumbling worse than Cut Man and Guts Man. Waste of upgrades!"

"Dr. Wily, we're trying as hard as we—" began Wave Man.

"No excuses! There are _two_ R.I.P. robots attempting to sabotage my plans from outside! If you do not hunt that one down, I'll completely overhaul Dive Man into a submarine, and I'll dismantle Wave Man and sell the pieces to a tuna fish cannery!"

* * *

The transmission ended with a hiss.

"Do you think he meant that?" asked Wave Man.

"I don't want to find out," replied Dive Man. "He's already made me submarine enough, I don't want to lose my arms and legs too."

"At least you'll be in the ocean where you belong. Tuna fish cans, how humiliating!"

They looked toward the robot they had twice mistaken for Mega Man (who kept swimming just beyond where they could get a clear sighting of him), filling with new determination.

"C'mon, let's get him!"

* * *

As soon as the had they had disabled the Warship Hunter's communication jamming, things had turned south for Mega Man, Roll, and Honey Woman. One of the attack-bots had gotten a warning out to Dr. Wily before they could stop him.

Mega Man and Roll were fighting off attack-bots swarming at them. Honey Woman did what she could to help. She morphed her hand into a hexagonal tri-cannon, which sprayed a thick, amber goop onto a group of attack bots.

"I thought you were about nonviolence!" said Roll, exasperated.

"That _is_ nonviolent."

Roll looked at the attack-bots, who were all stuck together in a gel-like blob. "Oh. I guess you're right."

"It's called _Sticky Trap,_ and I use it for capturing criminals."

"Why didn't you do that before?"

"Because it'll leave a trail. No point in hiding now though, they know we're here!"

The trapped attack-bot's arms and legs twitched weakly, looking morbidly like insects caught on fly paper.

"Don't worry, the _Sticky Trap_ is biodegradable and will break down eventually!" Honey Woman reassured Roll and Mega Man.

"I'm not too concerned if they can't break out anytime soon," said Mega Man.

It was like being caught in a metal labyrinth. From the inside, it was difficult to tell where one ship ended and the next one started. Relying on what they had been able to memorize from the schematics and with no real plan but to stay alive, they weaved through the Warship Hunter, dodging as many attack-bots as they could and fighting off the rest.

They entered an open stairwell. Honey Woman glued the door shut with _Sticky Trap,_ blocking a troop of fifty attack-bots outside. They could hear them firing pointlessly at the blast proof door.

Mega Man checked his energy meter, then groaned. Thirty percent. "Great. If I take too much more damage, I'll be out of plasma power," he said.

"I'm almost out of ammo too," said Roll. She had switched from circular saws, to a nail gun, and was now down to a baseball shooter, her toaster cannon long spent.

"At least you still an arsenal of melee weapon loaded in there, once I'm out of energy my plasma cannon will stop working!"

"You could always steal from the Robot Masters," Roll suggested.

"If only we were closer to one of their supply stockpiles," said Honey Woman.

"No time to find one, we'll have to make due with what we have left!" said Mega Man.

They ran up three flights of stairs. As they reached the corridor at the top, Guts Man burst through a vaulted door, ripping it off its hinges. Mega Man, Roll, and Honey Woman darted back and started down a long tunnel that ran along the roof over the stolen ships to the center of the Warship Hunter, Mega Man firing back at Guts Man.

"You're using up your plasma power," Roll pointed out as Guts Man deflected the blasts with the door, slowly advancing.

Mega Man fired at the controls for a fortified gate as Guts Man pitched the door to the side and charged. The gate fell, then bounded outward into the large molded impression of Guts Man.

"I better check in with Doc, see if he's figured out a way to deep six this tub," Mega Man told Roll and Honey Woman. They took off down the tunnel as the gate began bulging outward as Guts Man hammered against the other side, punching a hole large enough to stick his head through within four strikes.

"Hey Doc, any luck with those schematics?" Mega Man spoke into his communicator as he and Roll ran, Honey Woman flying along the ceiling. They could hear Guts Man thundering after them.

"I've got good news and bad news," Dr. Light replied. "The good news is a big enough blast of plasma power could overload the power turbines causing a chain reaction which would blow up the fortress!"

Honey Woman turned around and fired her _Sticky Trap_ onto the floor in a thick puddle. This slowed Guts Man considerably as he struggled to tear through the ooze that stuck to his boots like bubble gum. Meanwhile, Roll, Mega Man, and Honey Woman had crossed through another gate. Mega Man closed and locked it behind them.

"Outstanding! And the bad news?" Mega Man said to Dr. Light as they kept running, the sound of Guts Man pummeling the second gate echoing off the tunnel walls.

"You don't have that much power. You need more energy than you have in your plasma cannon."

They had reached a T-section in the tunnel. Honey Woman and Roll took a right. Mega Man paused at the junction, glancing back at Guts Man, who had just punched through the locked gate like plaster.

"Don't worry, Doc! I think I know where I can get the rest."

* * *

Guts Man could keep at this all day. Mega Man, Roll, and that flying bot thought they were so smart. But he was showing _them._ No matter how many obstacles they put in his way, he would break through them all.

He reached the T-section in the tunnel. He looked left, then right, and saw Mega Man's boots briefly on the other side of another gate before it slid closed, locking.

Wouldn't they learn? He was Guts Man! No gate could hold him back! He puffed out his chest, revving up to ram the door down in one piece.

* * *

From the other side, Mega Man was counting down.

"Three, two, one."

He opened the gate. Guts Man careened through the opening like a bull through a red flag and ran straight into a maintenance shaft in the center of the room. He fell several stories with a surprised yelp.

Honey Woman hovered over the pit. She looked over at Roll, grimacing. "He looks mad!"

"Let him stew," said Roll.

"I'm headed for the engine room," said Mega Man. "You gotta find the ships Wily hijacked and set 'em free!"

"Piece of cake," Roll answered, giving him a thumbs up.

* * *

Dive Man and Wave Man had split off in different directions, Dive Man lurking below, Wave Man using _Water Wave_ for propulsion to come around from the side, finally confronting the robot that had been eluding them.

Bubble Man, cornered, deployed a _Bubble Lead_ from the hose on his head. The bubble completely surrounded him like a globe. The _Dive Missile_ Dive Man had fired bounced off and exploded, rolling Bubble Man backward and plunging the water into a dense mist of tiny clouds. Bubble Man retreated again, Wave Man and Dive Man tore after him, swearing.

"So that's his little stunt," said Dive Man. "He's been playing tricks with the sonar. Well, he can't run forever. Sooner or later, we'll get him, and whoever heard of bubbles being a good weapon?"

"Let's lure him back to the Warship Hunter," said Wave Man. "Wily won't like it if we go too far off base."

"Wily doesn't like much of anything we do," said Dive Man. Then he paused, his head swiveling around on its base like a periscope. "Wave Man, I'm picking up another contact on passive sonar," he said. "Wait, never mind, I think it's just a porpoise."

"At this depth? That's no porpoise…look out!"

Splash Woman, her trident poised like a harpoon, dropped from the water above like a guillotine, scattering them apart.

* * *

After parting with Roll and Honey Woman, Mega Man ran down a sloping, steel plated passage, and pushed open the oblong door at its end.

He was in the center tower of the Warship Hunter. The interior was open, and stretched for at least twenty stories above him, the sky a patch of blue in the roofless top. Wrap around catwalks connected the entry points at each floor. The engine room was on the bottom floor. He walked over to a steel staircase, then heard a humming noise made his hair stand on end.

Elec Man was on the catwalk two floors below him, a bright sphere of electricity suspended between his hands. Mega Man's circuits were still sore from his last encounter with Elec Man. He never wanted to experience a _Thunder Beam_ ever, _ever_ again. He was also uncomfortably aware that he was completely surrounded by metal.

He uncoiled a white fire hose from the wall and leaped into the center of the room as Elec Man fired, a _Thunder Beam_ dancing up the railing. The hose caught onto a crossbeam, and Mega Man was suspended in the center of the room like a spider. Elec Man took a step back, surprised, but before he could discharge another _Thunder Beam_ , Mega Man twisted the firehose nozzle and hit Elec Man in the chest with a powerful jet of pressurized water.

There was a bang like a transformer blowing up, then Elec Man slammed into the wall and collapsed to the floor like a marionette cut from his strings.

Mega Man blinked as he cut off the hose, baffled. He knew Elec Man had weak defenses for a Robot Master, but _water?_ He swung onto the catwalk and crouched cautiously over Elec Man, but he could tell the Robot Master wasn't going to be moving anytime soon. He reached for his elbow to copy his weapon, and was pleased to find a small amount of weapon energy for _Thunder Beam_ remained.

"Thanks for your power, Elec Man."

* * *

Roll and Honey Woman returned to the indoor docking yard that housed the stolen warships. Cranes were unloading supplies from an amphibious assault ship along a track on the ceiling. They crouched behind a thicket of oil drums as an attack-bot patrolled past.

"Is Mega Man really going to blow up the Warship Hunter?" Honey Woman asked anxiously.

"We don't have any other options," answered Roll. She sighed. "He always gets to do the fun things."

Honey Woman gave her an unsure look, then looked over her shoulder, her face brightening. "Look, the hostages!" she said excitedly, pointing at a group of enlisted seamen mixed with civilian sailors. They were sitting in grim rows on the deck of the oil tanker, attack-bots patrolling around them. "They weren't there before…the attack-bots must have moved them!" Without waiting for Roll, Honey Woman flew toward them. She fired her _Sticky Trap_ at the attack-bots, gluing them against the ship's gunwales.

The group gave a murmur of surprise and admiration, rising to their feet. Roll ran onto the deck.

"Thanks!" said one of the seamen. "The robots took all our weapons."

"Are you scared?" Honey Woman asked them.

"Not really," responded a marine. "That orange robot with the scissors on his head did tell us to follow orders or receive 'free crew cuts on the house'. I understand he meant to be intimidating, but that pun was weak. I've heard much worse by my petty officer."

"If you're scared, all you need to do is imagine it's all part of an elaborate drill and not a critical war situation that threatens the freedom of every nation on Earth," said Honey Woman. "Then the situation won't seem as scary!"

"We just said we weren't scared!"

"Mega Man's heading to the engine room and overload the power turbine," Roll said to the humans. "We need to get these ships out of here!"

"How are we going to do that? They're hardwired into this thing," said a sailor.

"We'll have to bust them loose," said Roll. "All we need to do is disconnect them from Wily's control grid. Are there enough of you to crew the ships once they are free?"

"Yes, we think so," said a yeoman after conferring with the others. "But we'll need the captains and the other officers. They're being held in the other ships."

Roll looked at Honey Woman. "You're faster. Make sure all the humans are in position and ready to go. If any attack-bots get in your way, don't hold back!"

"Right!" said Honey Woman. She flew off, heading for the deck of the nearest destroyer.

"We'll help," said a missile technician. She turned to the rest of the sailors. "C'mon, let's get our weapons back!"

With an excited whoop, the humans tramped off in a pack after Honey Woman. Roll watched them go, then looked up to a row of windows on the stern-side wall where the control room lay.

* * *

Mega Man descended a wide flight of stairs that lead to the lowest deck of the Warship Hunter _._ A dark corridor stretched at its bottom. Mega Man crept cautiously inside. The left side wall emitted a strange scratching noise as the tip of a white blade cut through the bulkhead like a knife through canvas. It carved a complete rectangle, which fell outward as Cut Man sprang into the corridor, blocking his path.

"Surprise!" Cut Man cried. One of the blades on his head shears was bent and his round head had dents in it, as though he had been hit with something hard.

"You said it, Cut Man!" said Mega Man. He touched each side of the corridor with both hands. A quick burst from the _Thunder Beam_ shot through the bulkheads and into Cut Man, lighting him up like a neon sign. Cut Man feel flat on his back.

"I know the feeling," Mega Man said sympathetically. He reached for Cut Man's forehead, copying his _Rolling Cutter,_ before moving on.

* * *

Tengu Man arced around the Warship Hunter's central tower, dropping _Tornado Holds_ (portable, disk-like turbines) on the decks to scatter ammunition and attack-bots, and cutting through the power supplies of laser canons with his secondary ability, _Tengu Blade._

But no matter how many guns he disabled, the Warship Hunter always seemed to have plenty more. A laser blast clipped him across the back, and lost all control of his gyroscopic inertial thrusters. He whizzed off like a frisbee.

"FUUUUUUUUUU—"

He hit the ocean three hundred meters away with a geyser-like splash. He kicked to the surface, bobbing up and down in the salty water like a cork. He inspected his flying gear, and groaned. A clear hole had been blasted through his left impeller, and he was missing a wing. He lifted his communicator.

"Splash Woman, I've been hit. I'm sorry, but I can't continue the airstrike."

"Contact the _Observer._ Dr. Light will get you help. _"_

"Hope he can make it quick, I'm no swimmer and I don't want to get picked up by one of Wily's bots first," said Tengu Man, ending the transmission. He looked back at the Warship Hunter, which was now like an island in the distance. It had stopped firing, and was picking up speed, only about a half hour's distance from the military blockade awaiting him before the Aleutian Islands.

_Damn, I hope I bought Mega Man enough time…_

* * *

Dive Man barreled through the water after Splash Woman and Bubble Man, his legs twisting behind him like a submarine screw. Wave Man, a commercial fishing robot, and been modified with slimmer limbs. He lacked hands, and his harpoon launcher and hydraulic turbine had been upgraded to the point of being illegal for civilian work. Though Splash Woman did not approve of the fishing industry, she did feel a degree of pity seeing the changes Dr. Wily had hardwired into both he and Dive Man.

Bubble Man was rolling _Bubble Leads_ through the water around Dive Man and Wave Man. The _Bubble Leads_ confused the tracking sonar of the _Dive Missiles,_ which locked onto the false targets, detonated, and clouded the water with dense clouds of white bubbles, making it difficult for Wave Man and Dive Man to see and further decreasing the accuracy of the _Dive Missiles._ Bubble Man fired a giant _Bubble Lead_ at Wave Man, which trapped him, the membrane stretched like rubber but wouldn't burst as he pushed against it.

Splash Woman was attacking Dive Man at close quarters, first lashing out with her tail, then the butt of her trident, then her tail again, battering him back from Bubble Man and Wave Man. As Dive Man swum back to outdistance the physical assault for a _Dive Missile_ attack, she pointed the prongs of her trident at him, and fired fork-shaped laser bolts which shimmered through the water, striking down missiles and blasting Dive Man's armor.

After a great deal of struggling, Wave Man finally pierced through the strange slippery membrane with the tip of his harpoon. It slid off him like a punctured balloon, and he sped toward Splash Woman and fired his _Water Wave._ She was caught up in the twisting vortex, and was sucked far away from them, her trident ripped from her grasp. It dropped prongs first into the black waters below.

Meanwhile, Dive Man seized Bubble Man by the leg. Bubble Man kicked himself free at the same time Wave Man fired a harpoon, cutting through the _Bubble Lead_ tank on his back. Dive Man fired again.

With no defense and no way to outswim it, the _Dive Missile_ hit _._ When the water had cleared from the explosion, Bubble Man hung suspended in the water, belly up.

* * *

Mega Man crossed through a creaky door into a narrow utility corridor. A door marked 'Engine Room' was on the other side.

 _The engine room, I'm home free!_ he thought, rushing toward the handle.

The door swung out, and Bomb Man stepped out. Mega Man started backward.

"Hey hey, Mega! It's like they say in the movies: you bomb, and I'm a hit!" Bomb Man said cheerfully, tossing a lit _Hyper Bomb_ from hand to hand.

 _Not again!_ Mega Man groaned. He still had no time to fight Bomb Man, so as Bomb Man pitched the _Hyper Bomb_ , he fired a _Rolling Cutter,_ knocking it back into Bomb Man's hands. It exploded, blowing him into the engine room's, which fell from its frame and pinned him to the floor.

 _Some bots never learn,_ Mega Man thought as he stepped over Bomb Man into the room beyond.

The engine room was massive. A turbine the size of a small building lay in its recessed center, its impellers droning against its casing: the Warship Hunter's heart.

Mega Man hurried toward the giant turbine, then stopped short in the middle of the room, a small smile on his face.

"I didn't think it was your style to blast a bot in the back," he said, turning around.

Proto Man stood on the catwalk above the entrance, blaster drawn and trained on him, waiting. "I'll take you any way you want."

He leaped downward to join Mega Man on the floor.

"You and me, one-on-one. No weapons," Mega Man challenged.

Proto Man held out his blaster arm in front of him, his left hand reemerging and curling into a fist. "You got it."

* * *

Dr. Wily pounded his hands against the bridge's computer console, his eyes locked on a camera feed of Proto Man and Mega Man. He had been trying to contact Proto Man, but Proto Man was ignoring him.

"Noooo! Blast him. If he copies your weapon, he'll have enough plasma power to override the turbines!" he shouted at the screen.

* * *

Roll broke into the control room, dispatching the two attack-bots captains on duty. She took over the computer controls, and was deeply immersed in unhooking the ships from Dr. Wily's control when the door burst open behind her.

"Why you little—Mega Man and his cheap tricks—I'll show you!" Guts Man stammered, his eyes all but spewing sparks. He lumbered into the room, his tall form taking up the entire doorframe, swinging his arms like clubs before him.

 _Shit,_ Roll thought.

* * *

Honey Woman missing, Tengu Man out of commission, Bubble Man down, and her trident gone…it was by far the _worst_ situation Splash Woman had been in yet.

She stopped beating her tail, and let the pull of the ocean drag her down like quicksand, dropping through the aptly named twilight zone, the light from above slowly fading. A swordfish flashed by. She was at a depth of over seven hundred meters and falling.

The water was becoming denser and colder, pushing her cheeks against her teeth. She was suddenly enveloped in blackness as she encroached the deadly midnight zone, where water pressure would begin climbing high enough to crush a robot's titanium shell.

Dive Man and Wave Man followed close behind. Wave Man was rattled. He did not have the same sonar detection gear as Dive Man. "Dive Man…" he said in his whispery voice. "Dive Man, I can't see down here—"

"Shhh!" said Dive Man impatiently. After losing visual of Splash Woman, he began searching for her with sonar pulses.

_Ping. Ping. Ping._

Splash Woman closed her eyes and listened to the sonar ring off an underwater mountain ten meters below her. In her head, she formed a metal picture of a long ridge with jagged, porous slopes. Without Bubble Man's bubble screens to muddle Dive Man's sonar, she needed a more conventional place to hide. She drifted to one of its peaks in the direction her trident had disappeared, using it to mask her form from making sonar contact.

Splash Woman hoped her trident hadn't fallen all the way to the bottom of the midnight zone, there'd be no way to get it back. She traced her hand along the rock, feeling for it. Her hand contacted something slimy and squishy. She had brushed against a blob fish, and gently nudged it away.

By the direction of the sonar cone, Dive Man was easy to locate. She knew he wouldn't fire a _Dive Missile_ yet, not until he had a clear contact. If he missed, the explosion would disturb the water and it would be difficult to find her again…

…but he would continue to assault her with sonar blasts to disorient her enough for an easy strike. He boosted the power of his frequency.

_PING. PING. PING. PING._

Splash Woman pressed her hands over her ears, the sonar pulses filling them like knives.

* * *

Proto Man advanced toward Mega Man, his fist cocked back. Mega Man drew away from Proto Man, edging backward toward the turbine, and watching Proto Man's face very carefully. He had once been intimidated by Proto Man's fighting style. He was aggressive, fast, and knew how to throw an opponent off balance. But now this pattern had become familiar to Mega Man. Proto Man took risks, and if Mega Man was patient, he'd soon open himself to vulnerability.

But as Mega Man stepped back, his heel slipped on a loose screw. He stumbled, and Proto Man struck, punching Mega Man hard against his cheek. As Mega Man reeled from the blow, Proto Man swept to his side and pummeled Mega Man three times in the stomach, then slugged him hard on the shoulder, knocking him across the engine room.

Wincing, Mega Man caught his balance and rebounded off the steel floor, lunging at Proto Man. Proto Man aimed another strike, but Mega Man feigned, causing Proto Man to punch through thin air. As Proto Man wound up for another punch, Mega Man spun around and delivered a leaping kick.

Proto Man fell back on a knee. Mega Man aimed another kick at him, Proto Man leaped out of the way, then turned to face him slowly, his teeth clenched.

Mega Man could tell Proto Man was getting frustrated. Proto Man was striking too fast, without regarding his own defense. Proto Man threw another punch. Mega Man blocked it with his left forearm, countered with his right fist, burying it into Proto Man's cheek. While Proto Man recoiled, Mega Man drew back to push all his weight into another swing.

Proto Man was thrown against the railing of the turbine, bending the metal backward. His shoulders were heaving up and down as he caught his breath, his right hand clenching. He smiled unpleasantly.

"Not bad, little bro…" he said, drawing a plasma cannon. "You've been practicing!"

"Hey! What about no weapons?" Mega Man protested, stepping back.

"Didn't anyone tell you, bro? Honest bots finish last."

Mega Man threw up the arms just in time to deflect a blue bolt of plasma. It rebounded upward and tore through a row of overhead steam pipes. They erupted, engulfing Mega Man with a dense, boiling hot cloud.

Proto Man's face dropped as Mega Man disappeared. He hesitated, lowering his blaster slightly, when Mega Man suddenly sprang from the steam, slamming his knuckles into the ear plate on Proto Man's helmet.

Proto Man hit the floor hard. He lay on his side, not moving.

"You're wrong about honest bots finishing last," Mega Man said over Proto Man's prone form. "Maybe you should think about being one."

He placed a hand on Proto Man's blaster, drained him of the weapon energy identical to his own, then raised his plasma cannon toward the turbine's casing and began firing.

* * *

Dr. Wily watched horror-stricken as plasma fire bloomed out from the turbines.

"Abandon ship, ABANDON SHIP!" he screeched into the Warship Hunter's intercom.

* * *

Alarms began sounding throughout the compartments of the Warship Hunter while red rotating lights flashed on the ceilings. Attack-bots were racing through the corridors toward the exits.

Guts Man and Roll had been sparring in more or less hand-to-hand combat. Roll was faster and had a power saw, but Guts Man's punches hurt _a lot more._

Guts Man withdrew after knocking Roll through a locker, his eyes wide in panic.

"What's that? What's that mean?"

"It means you lost, so scram before we're all toast!" hissed Roll, pulling herself up from a pile of spilled office supplies with gritted teeth.

Guts Man obeyed, scrambling out of the control room after the attack-bots.

Roll clamored gingerly over to the control console. Some of her titanium ribs felt bent out of shape. The communicator on her utility arm was flashing.

"Roll, she's gunna blow!" warned Mega Man.

"We're on our way out, Mega," Roll replied. She pulled a release hatch, which spread the ships apart. Then she tapped a few commands into the console, returning control to the individual ships. A few moments later, a great squealing noise came from the outside as the ships revved forward, tearing out of their harnesses.

* * *

_PING. PING. PING._

Splash Woman slid down the mountain, the sonar lashes nearly driving her mad. She still couldn't find her trident, and needed to take control of the situation. Dive Man was closing in her. She shot away from the mountain, giving away her position. Dive Man fired a blue, breadbox-sized missile. It locked onto her position, emitting smaller sonar pings as it chased her.

Splash Woman looped around the mountain peaks, the _Dive Missile_ whirring just behind her metal tail fin. Dive Man was not far behind. Now that he had located her, he was intent on finishing the job else he face Dr. Wily's wrath.

She arced back down the mountain in no particular pattern that Dive Man could figure out, then she swung upward in a hairpin turn toward Wave Man.

Dive Man realized her plan, but too late. "Wave Man, look out!" he called, aghast.

Splash Woman swerved over Wave Man's head, and the _Dive Missile's_ homing lock transferred to Wave Man instead. There was a flash of light that lit up the midnight zone like a firework. Both Wave Man and Dive Man were caught up in the blast, and completely powered down.

Splash Woman slowed down, then swam back into the darkness below near the mountain. She listened carefully as she skimmed the mountain side, able to concentrate better without the sonar bombardment. Holding out her hand, she caught the handle of her trident, which had been wedged in a wad of red algae. She swam back up to the twilight layer held the end up to eye level and gazed down at it like a pool cue, checking to make sure it was still straight, then noticed the shadowed forms Wave Man and Dive Man were starting to sink toward the crushing depths of the ocean.

Tucking her trident under her arm, she darted over them, grabbed each by an elbow, and began beating hard toward the surface. After the water began to brighten and return to a bearable water pressure, Splash Woman let go of them, attached a pair of auto-buoyancy devices she had stored in her trident to their backs, and let them float upward.

"Ra Thor, Wave Man and Dive Man are down, coordinates 44 by negative 176," she said into her communicator.

"Good work!" said Ra Thor. "Warship Hunter is under distress. Get Bubble Man and bear away."

Bubble Man remained drifting on his back where he had been left, his magnified eyes shut.

"I don't think I can swim. Save yourself, Sergeant…" he said blearily as she approached. "You can't let Dr. Wily catch you. He'll reprogram you and use you against R.I.P. It's too late for me…"

"Bubble Man, it's over. We've won."

"Oh, we did?" said Bubble Man as Splash Woman pulled him upward by the tank on his back. "That's a relief!"

* * *

Smoke poured out of the turbine. Its casing had been blasted open, and impellers were jamming, their blades were snapping off like dried daisy petals.

Mega Man looked down at Proto Man, who was stirring.

"Are you alright?"

Proto Man nodded stiffly. "You fight dirty sometimes."

"I learn from the best, though I didn't think you'd be such a sore loser and resort to cheating. I'm disappointed, Proto Man," Mega Man replied in mock appall.

"I'm the bad guy, it's what I do." Proto Man brushed his fingers against the ear plate Mega Man had struck, as though checking for damage. "…What the hell _was_ that? I just blacked out for a minute!"

"Three minutes, actually. To paraphrase someone a little wiser and a _lot_ older than us, 'A strong concussive force to the side of the Bomber helmet sends a signal overload through its link to the electronic brain, temporarily knocking out your processors.' It's a design flaw we share, can't be fixed."

"Is that so." Proto Man pulled himself up on the railing, smirking. "Well played…though, now that you've told me…I might use it against you too."

"Fair's fair."

Mega Man took a step toward Proto Man.

"Don't," warned Proto Man. Despite his bravado, Proto Man was akin to a cornered animal right now. Mega Man knew Proto Man would make some sort of last stand if pushed. The turbine was growing hot, its rumbling drowning out almost all other sound, the metal popping and creaking as it expanded slowly in size. A wave of blistering air pushed against them, fluttering the edges of Proto Man's scarf.

Mega Man hesitated. "The Robot International Police and eleven different navies have this place surrounded…Sure you don't wanna join me?"

Mega Man was worried for Proto Man. He wished he had more time to convey this, but he didn't, and it wouldn't matter anyway as Proto Man didn't trust him, therefore he wasn't surprised when Proto Man answered,

"Sorry, bro—I'm programmed for the bad side."

Proto Man smiled at him in the red glow of the failing turbine, then ran toward one of the exits without looking back. Mega Man watched him go, then took another path out of the engine room.

* * *

Roll ran down the flight of stairs out of the control room and back into the docking area. Attack-bots ignored her as they stormed out. The Warship Hunter was pitching violently, water splashing onto the floors in giant waves. She contemplated whether she was better off swimming for one of the ships, or dive as deep as she could to avoid the explosion, when something lifted her off the floor by her shoulders.

"Cutting it a little close, are we?" asked Honey Woman as she carried her out of the sinking Warship Hunter.

* * *

After gaining some distance from the engine room, Proto Man rested against a doorframe for a moment, looking down at his hand, which was trembling. He'd…lost.

He clenched his hand shut. _Snap out of it._

Alarms were blaring around him. He entered the Warship Hunter's central tower. Elec Man was lying in a heap on one of the catwalks above. At first, Proto Man thought he was completely powered down, but as he approached, Elec Man's eyes opened half way.

"You weren't kidding about water damage, huh?"

"Just leave me to blow up with the rest of the ship."

"You won't want that, there's an R.I.P. officer sweeping the place to make sure everyone gets out. Can you stand?"

When Elec Man shook his head, Proto Man crouched down, slid an arm under Elec Man's shoulder while wrapping one of Elec Man's around his own, and helped him to feet, Elec Man leaning against him for support.

"By the way, Wily is gunna be kinda pissed off at me, so if you don't mind, we're going to catch our own ride back."

They took a step forward. Elec Man's legs were unsteady, and he slipped on the puddle of water on the floor. His fingers dug into Proto Man's scarf as he caught himself from falling.

"Don't make any jokes," Elec Man said shortly, not looking at him.

"Wasn't going to," said Proto Man as he propped Elec Man up, shouldering more of his weight. "Design flaws are nothing to laugh about."

* * *

Mega Man ran back to the scrap metal repository, and was relieved to find his marine suit lying in a pile on the floor where he left it. He snapped it on quickly, then plunged into the scrap metal hatch.

He swam hard and fast away as he could, pushing the limit of the marine suit for the second time. Above him, the Warship Hunter was dismantling as ships sailed out in opposite directions, the submarines diving.

After gaining a safe distance, Mega Man surfaced. He scanned the skies, then waved as Roll and Honey Woman appeared overhead.

They all turned to look back. The Warship Hunter's tower slanted to the left like the leaning tower of Pisa before a massive fireball bloomed from its base, a loud report crossing the ocean a second later.

"Well, Wily sure went out with a bang," remarked Mega Man.

Roll groaned.

* * *

The wreckage of the Warship Hunter smoldered into the night, creating a dense cloud of steam on the ocean. Patrol boats were scavenging the ruins, retrieving drones that hadn't escaped. There was no sign of Dr. Wily or Proto Man. Splash Woman and Honey Woman waited aboard the _Observer_ while Dr. Light repaired Bubble Man and Tengu Man.

The next day, the sun glinted off the choppy ocean in small diamonds. In the distance, a group of humpback whales breached the surface, spouting water and splashing their tails.

"Well now that the seas are safe again, we can do some whale watching in peace," said Dr. Light, holding up a pair of binoculars.

"They really are something, Doc," said Roll.

Splash Woman grinned at whales."I know that pod. Their names are Te'le, Sami, Fuga, Masina, and Tuala."

"You seem cheerful," commented Mega Man.

"I am. Wave Man and Dive Man were captured while you were on the Warship Hunter. After all the modifications Dr. Wily performed to their designs, they cannot return to civilian work, so Inspector Headley is working with their original employers to acquire them for R.I.P. They are to join my team."

"You don't mind working with former Bad-bots?"

Splash Woman shook her head. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, I am grateful. Dive Man and Wave Man will double my underwater force."

"So they're going to be good guys now?" asked Roll.

"In layman's terms, yes."

"So in a way, it was a good thing that Dr. Wily brought his delusions of world dominations out to the Pacific," Bubble Man said from next to Splash Woman, kicking his feet against the Observer. He paused, quickly checking himself. "Er, I mean, not good for _everyone._ Not really. We'll be cleaning up the Warship Hunter's pollution for the next five years I reckon…"

"Unfortunately, Dive Man and Wave Man know little of value about Dr. Wily's operations," said Splash Woman, interrupting Bubble Man. "It seems he kept them cooped up in the bottom of Skull Fortress. They're pretty happy about the change of fate, I think."

Her communicator began beeping.

"Splash Woman, contact me when you've finished at the _Observer,_ " came Ra Thor's voice. "I have another assignment."

"Understood." She looked toward Bubble Man, Honey Woman, and Tengu Man. "We must go," she said.

Bubble Man held out a hand to Mega Man. "Real pleasure meeting ya. Come back to the Pacific anytime."

"Yes, you can come see how Wave Man and Dive Man are getting on," said Splash Woman. "Though we might rope you into a mission if something comes up."

"I doubt we'll be that desperate," said Tengu Man. He was wearing a temporary wing replacement crafted by Dr. Light, of which he seemed to approve of.

"Tengu Man is going to miss you!" said Bubble Man.

"I am not, shut up!"

Honey Woman threw her arms around Roll. "Goodbye, Roll! I hope to see you again too!"

They all waved, and Splash and Bubble Man dove into the ocean, and Honey Woman and Tengu Man took into the air, disappearing into specs in the distance.

Admiral Haley strode onto the deck. "Oh, have the Robot International Police officers left? I never got a chance to thank them for saving our ships." He turned to Roll. "We wouldn't have been able to stop Wily without the Warship Hunter's plans. I'd like to award you a medal for your bravery aboard the world's largest and most hostile watercraft. I've never given one to a robot before…"

He presented her with a medal in a velvet-lined mahogany box.

"Wow, thank you!" said Roll.

"Tom says you're very ambitious about fighting crime," said Admiral Haley. "If you're really serious about combating Wily's forces, you ought to get into contact with General Hawthorn. He's also keen on boosting defense against Wily, I could put in a word."

"General Hawthorne?" Roll repeated. She glanced over at Mega Man.

Admiral Haley noticed the look. "Well, that's my two cents anyway. I'll leave you to it. The Navy still has a lot to sort out about the aftermath of the Warship Hunter, but the situation is under control. Enjoy the whales, Fuga is being playful today."

Admiral Haley left.

"General Hawthorne," mused Dr. Light absent-mindedly.

"Actually, I would like to talk to you about that," Roll said to Dr. Light after another quick glance at Mega Man. "Not about General Hawthorne specifically, but, my future fighting Dr. Wily, and beyond."

Dr. Light gave her a long, serious look, his brows furrowed. "You have grown a lot since you were first activated," Dr. Light said. "I think it's time we _do_ talk about your future."

Roll felt encouraged by this. "You see, it's just," she began. This part was a little awkward but needed to be said. "You've been building all this new gear for Mega Man for Civil Defense…" she trailed off, but stood her ground.

"That gear is built using the federal grant money Senator King allotted to me for Mega Man's defense against Dr. Wily. I cannot use it for anyone else…But I could use my own."

Roll's face lit up. "Are you for real?"

"Let's return to the lab to discuss further," said Dr. Light, nodding. He stretched. "Though maybe after a good night's sleep. My internal clock is all messed up after the time zone changes we've been going through in the past week."

He returned to the bridge. Roll sighed happily and looked out at the breaching whales.

Mega Man leaned against the railing next to Roll. "Things looking a little better?"

"I think so," said Roll. Then she added, "Though it's _about time."_

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

Humans disappear from a popular amusement park at the same time Dr. Wily's forces are growing with a new type of humanoid robo-drone. Could Dr. Wily be turning humans into robots? Mega Man and Roll investigate the mysterious case with help from an unusual source…tune in next time for _Bad Day at Peril Park!_


	8. Bad Day at Peril Park, Part 1

****

**Episode 16: Bad Day at Peril Park**

True to his word, Dr. Light had had a conversation with Roll after returning from destroying the Warship Hunter. They came to an agreement in which Roll would get her own workshop inside the laboratory. He renovated the basement next to their cavernous special vehicle garage to fit a roomy workshop with its own entrance to the outside. Roll liked this arrangement, as she could play Nightmare Fuel as loud as she wanted without anyone else complaining. She papered every inch of the walls with posters of metal bands and would disappear into the basement with Met for long periods of time to work on new gadgets for her utility arm.

Mega Man realized that it was _his_ turn to be jealous. He had always pictured himself working full-time in a laboratory as Dr. Light's assistant. But this was different. Dr. Light had given Roll her own workshop to do her own work with a full supply of resources _beyond_ the domestic appliances she had 'borrowed' from around the lab. As a consequence, Mega Man didn't see her as much as he used to and was spending more time in the library reading Dr. Light's books on physical chemistry or walking Rush through the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Dr. Light asked them not to enter the security vault for the near foreseeable future. He had been receiving boxes of oranges shipped from California—only the boxes didn't actually contain any fruit, instead, each box contained a locked crate the size of a shoebox discreetly marked with the acronym _C.R.I.T._ (Citadel Research and Innovative Technology) and the instructions 'Confidential. All contents are the intellectual property of its inventor(s). Any and all infringements will be prosecuted with the full extent of the law. Kindly do not drop.' He took the crates inside the laboratory's security vault without opening. Occasionally, Dr. Light would return from the security vault with these boxes, shaking his and muttering to himself as he repackaged them and sent them back, deep in thought.

Mega Man and Roll had guessed that Dr. Light had been working on a long-term secret project with a Russian roboticist at Citadel (thanks to Roll eavesdropping on some of Dr. Light's phone calls). Dr. Light himself refused to speak of it, citing that it was strictly confidential. Mega Man warned Roll off from further snooping about this project, but she seemed so grateful to have her own workshop that she was content to put her own gnawing curiosity aside and wait for Dr. Light to reveal this project on his own—however long that took.

After a couple uneventful weeks, Mega Man finally talked Roll into taking a break from her workshop and come with him to a charity robo-canine show held at a park in Queens (all proceeds being donated to animal shelters). Rush had been invited as an honorary guest, and even participated in some of the events.

It was one of the first cold days of October, where the air had a crisp bite and frost sparkled on the lawn. The soccer field that had held the five-hour robo-canine show was surrounded by fences covered in mustard-colored tarp. After the last event had finished, humans stayed behind to mingle in clumps, congratulating each other on wins and swapping tips for achieving the perfect gloss on a mechanical terrier's silicon plating or programming advanced tricks for overly-energetic servo-beagles.

"Told you he wouldn't be able to do the obstacle course," said Roll, yawning. The dog show had begun at six-o-clock. She was holding Met in her arms. "He's a bomber-bot support unit, not a show poodle."

"Well, the crowd liked it anyway," said Mega Man, scratching Rush between the ears.

"Mega Man! Help!" cried a high-pitched voice from the stadium entrance. A freckled boy with mousy brown curtained hair was running toward them. He looked to be about eleven. "Robots are after me, only, they're not robots! They're humans turned _into_ robots!"

"Whoa, like this kid's got overactive imagination circuits!" muttered Roll.

The boy stopped in front of them, panting as though he had ran a mile.

"Hey buddy, slow down," said Mega Man kindly. "Why don't you start by telling us your name?"

"My name is Bobby Gunn," said the boy, catching his breath.

"Hi Bobby. So what's this about turning humans into robots?"

"It's true! Up at Fun World, the new amusement park! That's where they're doing it."

Roll raised her brows knowingly at Mega Man. Fun World, a chain of amusement parks, was ran nearly entirely by robotic staff. Many humans considered these androids convincing enough to be mistaken for real humans—but Mega Man and Roll, being androids themselves, knew better.

"You've been reading too many comic books," said Roll.

"It's not a story! They got my parents too, but I escaped! You've gotta help me save them, Mega Man!"

Rush began growling. A pack of robot soldiers in gray and light green armor had appeared between the peppermint-stripe columns at the soccer field's entrance. The crowd that had lingered behind in the stands scattered as the soldiers began firing electro-neutralizer pistols haphazardly. One of the violet rays hit the show announcer, who fell unconscious into a crate of battery biscuits. Another hit a robo-collie, who immediately put its head between its paws and powered down.

But these stray shots appeared to be incidental, as the robots didn't seem interested in the crowd, or even Mega Man and Roll—their eyes were on Bobby.

Mega Man grabbed Bobby by the collar of his shirt and hauled him out of the way of the incoming electro-neutralizer rays. "Hide!" he ordered, nudging him toward the stands. He looked over his shoulder back at their attackers.

The first thing that struck Mega Man as odd was that despite wearing the same uniform, the robots looked very different; each one had a unique, human face. The leader was tall, broad-shouldered, and had a clefted chin. The second was stocky and had crooked teeth, the third was short and had a wrinkled middle-aged face, the fourth had red spots on his nose that looked very much like pimples, the final pale and stocky with a scruffy beard, a round belly sticking out above his armor's utility belt. In fact, these robots almost looked like _humans_ in robot armor…

Mega Man rushed back across the astroturf to Roll, who was using the three-level winner's podium as a barricade against the electro neutralizer blasts. Met was crouched under her own helmet, her round eyes peeking out from the crack between its rim and the astroturf, meanwhile Rush was running in circles around the soldiers, snarling and snapping. Roll transformed her utility arm into a rotary saw and aimed at the leader.

"Wait, Roll! Don't hurt them!" Mega Man shouted as a violet ray flashed past his ear.

They both ducked. "What are you talking about, Mega? They're just robo-drones…" She trailed off, looking back over the podium and lowering her utility arm. "…I think."

Roll and Mega Man exchanged glances. The soldiers lacked the physical uniformity most drone models had, yet they had the same synchronized movements of a series of duplicates, and their expressions mirrored the same vacant, dead-eyed robo drone stare. It was a bit off-putting.

"I got an idea," said Roll. She withdrew the circular saw back into her utility arm, then tipped out a small smoke grenade and lobbed it into the fray. The soldiers scattered. Met's robotic arms shot out from under her helmet and began pulling the electro-neutralizer pistols from the soldiers' arms and whipping them over the stadium stands and into the park's winding stream. Disoriented and outgunned, the soldiers broke formation and retreated toward the park entrance.

"Hold it right there!" commanded Roll, jumping over the podium and grabbing the leader by a peaked shoulder pauldron.

"Hey, get offa me!" the soldier growled in a thick Bronx accent. He pulled a small purple device out of his utility belt and jabbed it into Roll's arm. It gave her a small electro-neutralizer shock, forcing her to let go. He fled after the rest of his group. Rush chased after them as Mega Man hurried over to Roll.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, no lasting damage," she said, hitting on her limp utility arm on the elbow until it finally powered back on with a jerk. "It's sure a lot harder to counter a guy you're _not_ trying to hurt…but what _were_ they?" she asked, looking toward the park entrance where the soldiers had vanished.

"I dunno but I don't like it."

"Maybe they are robo drones with really life-like disguises," suggested Roll. "Like what the Bad-bots used to steal the _Freedom._ "

"Or maybe Bobby's onto something," said Mega Man.

There was a muffled bark. Rush had returned, carrying the utility belt the soldier who had shocked Roll been wearing in his mouth.

"Looks like Rush found something," said Mega Man, taking the utility belt. He looked through its compartments, finding spare power cells, a mechanic's tool kit, and—"A driver's license!" he said, looking down at the photo of the cleft-chinned man, who had a gelled-up hairstyle.

"Since when do bots need driver's licenses?" scoffed Roll. "We're programmed to drive anything!"

"It's like I told ya, he use to be a human, but now he's a bot!" said Bobby as he rejoined them from his hiding spot in the bleachers.

Roll and Mega Man looked at each other.

"This does sound like something Wily would do," said Mega Man fairly.

Roll relented. "Looks like we're going to Fun World."

* * *

In the dim light of Dr. Wily's laboratory, a communication console beeped as it received a transmission.

"The boy escaped, Dr. Wily!" Soldier 5991-6211 informed Dr. Wily. "Mega Man came to his rescue! They're heading for the amusement park!"

"Noooo!" Dr. Wily roared, pounding his fists against the computer with a thud that rattled the paneling and cut off the transmission. _"Mega Man!_ Well, I won't let that blue dweeb spoil my brilliant plan this time! Nothing will stop me from turning the entire human race into robots!" He picked up the intercom. "Attention all robots, report to the Skullker! At once."

"Hey, Doc, I got a question," said Proto Man as Dr. Wily turned away from the communication console and stroke briskly to his work desk. "…Didn't we already try this with Cold Steel?"

"This is nothing like Cold Steel!" snapped Dr. Wily, pulling out a toolbox from a wooden cubby. " _This_ is the way of the future, with all humans acting like robots under my command! I have improved the technology. The difference is to make them _think_ they are robots, then they become _programmable_ like robots, and act with greater efficiency than the vegetable-like state I made them into before."

"Yeah, but they're still kinda…fleshy, right?"

"I've looked into the technology for turning humans into a _real_ robot. This is cheaper, much more scalable," said Dr. Wily as he began stuffing the toolbox with an assortment of gadgets from the desk drawers.

"Well, you know what they say about quantity over quality…"

Proto Man didn't want to push it. He had screwed up the last mission by letting Mega Man get the better of him. As a aspiring dictator with his second-in-command, Dr. Wily had every right to be furious at Proto Man for being directly responsible for the demise of the Warship Hunter. Proto Man had even waited a day flying aboard the naval jet fighter he had stolen from the airship carrier for Dr. Wily to blow off steam. But to his surprise, Dr. Wily was not that angry with him. Frustrated and annoyed, but not more so than when someone accidentally knocks over a board game that you had both been playing.

Proto Man wasn't sure how he felt about that. The fact that Dr. Wily had accepted that a mistake had been made and gotten over despite the huge setback to his progress toward world domination showed a level of maturity that he never thought Dr. Wily was capable of. But it also that he may have a kernel of fondness for Proto Man buried deep inside his spite-filled megalomaniac heart, feelings which Proto Man thought might be misplaced. Criminal associates should never be more than just criminal associates. It wasn't personal.

Either way, Dr. Wily was already caught up in a new idea for world domination. Though Proto Man thought this plan was a sham compared to the Warship Hunter operation, Dr. Wily thought it was even better, so he let it go.

"Ya know…Elec Man is always useful on incognito stuff," said Proto Man as Dr. Wily added a suspiciously familiar joystick to the toolbox. "When are you going to get around to finishing his repairs?"

Elec Man lay deactivated on one of the work tables. The water damage he had sustained during his fight with Mega Man had fried much of his circuitry, and he was having trouble retaining energy. He could not remain powered on for long periods of time, and was suffering from partial system paralysis. Overall, he had been lucky. His wiring, composed of a unique silver alloy that his creator had specifically designed for him, had been salvageable. Still, the repairs were expensive, complicated, and tedious, and Dr. Wily's attention was shifting to newer things.

"I'll finish working on him later. Ring Man is perfectly suited to handle this mission."

"Ring Man's human disguise isn't nearly as good as Elec Man's; Elec Man can even fool other robots," Proto Man pointed out. He didn't add in that he thought Elec Man was at least a thousand times more competent than Ring Man, while Ring Man was worse than hiring a human teenager.

But Dr. Wily waved Proto Man off. "I've always told you he was flimsy, you do not listen! It's what happens when roboticist design their robots to be so human, putting sentimentality above practicality! Not like Snake Man. He's a good Robot Master."

Snake Man had been filling in on some of the technical aspects of Dr. Wily's plan that normally Elec Man would cover. He was boxing up pea-sized micro receivers in a corner of the laboratory.

Proto Man gave a slight sneer in Snake Man's direction and decided not to comment on Dr. Wily's last remark. He dropped his voice, intending for only Dr. Wily to hear.

"C'mon, doc…you've invented teleportation chambers, animated stone statues with a radiation generator, and invented a device that used the electrical grid to control electronics like something out of the movie _Poltergeist_. Isn't there _anything_ you can do about Elec Man's design flaw?"

"Why waste time fixing someone else's work?" said Dr. Wily with a degree of smugness. He snapped the lid closed on his toolbox. "His frame cannot support a weapon of that power. It's simple science. The only thing to do would be to rebuilt his arms to be more like Spark Man. Now stop pestering me about this. Having human looking robots won't be a problem after the first phase of my plan." He cackled evilly.

Reluctantly, Proto Man dropped it. The few times Elec Man _had_ been awake, he hadn't been very enthusiastic about rejoining Dr. Wily's efforts anytime soon. Besides, he knew Elec Man would just _hate_ this mission.

Dr. Wily strode importantly out of the laboratory, the hem of his lab coat whirling behind him. Proto Man walked over to Snake Man to collect the box of micro-receivers.

"Ssshouldn't I come?" Snake Man asked quietly, nodding over to where Dr. Wily had left. "Cut Man and Gutssss Man are going."

Proto Man winced at the sharp hiss. "What, and scare everyone off? Phase one is for androids. Wait until phase two when we start taking over cities, buddy. If we get to phase two," he muttered darkly to himself. "Besides, Wily's already picked his team and the Skullker can't fit everybody. Keep an eye on things in the lab, okay?"

"I'm not your ssservent."

Proto Man turned his back to Snake Man. "Can't understand you."

* * *

Mega Man contacted Dr. Light on his communicator and told him about the green soldiers they had encountered at the dog show.

"The weird thing is, we don't know what they were," said Mega Man after he had finished. "A robot can always tell when another robot is pretending to be a human—"

"Except for that slime ball Top Man," Roll interjected under her breath.

"—Either they don't look quite human, or they don't act quite human…or _both,"_ Mega Man continued. _"_ These guys looked more human that even most Robot Masters do, but they acted _less_ human than a poorly programmed restaurant server-drone. I couldn't say for sure they were human, but I also couldn't say for sure they were robots."

"I ran a check on the driver's license, Mega," said Dr. Light. "It belongs to a Harold Johnson. He was reported missing yesterday. Definitely a human."

"At least he use to be," said Mega Man.

"Yes Mega, that's what I fear. If Dr. Wily _has_ invented a bio-cybernetic transmutation process, the human race is in grave danger! I'll inform the police that you're investigating Fun World for traces of Dr. Wily, and that it may be connected to some of their most recent disappearances."

"Alright, we'll keep you updated."

Mega Man ended the transmission and looked at Roll. "You know, the strangest part in all of this might be that Dr. Wily choose to house his human-to-robot transformation plant at _Fun World."_

"I can think of a few reasons why," said Roll. Now that she had been convinced that Dr. Wily was likely in the middle of another scheme, she was eager to help plan and get going on the action. "There are lots of people, and Fun World's full of androids. Any human transformed into a robot will blend right in, the humans aren't going to know the difference. Plus, Ring Man used to work at Fun World as a ring toss robot."

"Wily must have burned through all his resources on the Warship Hunter if he's tapping Ring Man's connections," muttered Mega Man. "But putting his cover aside, we'll still figure out _how_ he's doing it."

"Easy. We're robots, so whatever he's doing won't affect us!"

"We'll have to stay under his radar though. If we go in guns blazing, he might pack up his act and move somewhere else before we get a chance to bust him."

"No problem, we'll just dress up as humans. We're _advanced_ -androids, none of those carney bots will know the difference between us and a real human! With any luck, Wily will lead us right to where he's making the robots."

"Or into a trap. They could still recognize _us,_ you know, especially the Bad-Bots."

"Fine, we'll wear disguises then. Here, I had Met bring some supplies for the dog show, just in case."

Met's helmet flipped open. Using her retractable arms, she handed Mega Man a Yankees baseball cap, thick-rimmed glasses, and an 'I heart NY' T-shirt.

"I dunno about this…" said Mega Man self-consciously. "Baseball caps really aren't my style…

"It's why it's perfect!" said Roll. She tied a banana across her head, and pulled out a Nightmare Fuel t-shirt, biker jacket, and ripped jeans to change into.

"Okay, but your disguise is a _lot_ cooler than mine," Mega Man complained. "Also, that's not really a disguise."

Roll ignored him.

"What about Met and Rush?" asked Roll.

"We'll have to leave them behind…too obvious," said Mega Man. Met gave an affirmative beep. "C'mon, it's already almost noon…Park's been open for four hours. We've got work to do."

* * *

Snake Man fumed to himself after Proto Man left. Stupid, arrogant, Light-brat! Proto Man _never_ took Dr. Wily's plans seriously enough. Despite what Proto Man said, he, Snake Man, should be out there helping Dr. Wily with his plan. It had been almost a year since his activation and his first mission in Geneva. He was a good fighter. He _would_ make sure they got to phase two, and he would beat _Mega Man_ and prove to Dr. Wily he was the stronger robot _—perhaps_ even stronger that Proto Man, who failed again and again to defeat Mega Man. Why Proto Man was still Dr. Wily's second in command when he had nearly gotten himself and Dr. Wily arrested by the Robot International Police. was inconceivable. Snake Man felt like Dr. Wily was forgetting him, and being ordered around by Proto Man made it much worse.

Bitterly fantasizing about Dr. Wily coming to his senses and ejecting Proto Man into the Atlantic Ocean, Snake Man hunkered down into a chair, idly looking over the coding of the micro receivers he had been working on—

—When he saw something that made his circuits twist.

The latest batch of micro receivers had been given the wrong frequency. The connection between them and the master transmitter would become unstable, making the range of their effect nearly useless. Why hadn't he noticed this sooner?

The fix was as simple as re-synching the control towers with the new frequency, but what could he do about it now? The towers were already installed in the parks, the micro receivers in the midst of being distributed.

He _should_ call Dr. Wily and explain the problem. He pictured Dr. Wily's face darkening in disappointment. He had been lucky that Dr. Wily would trust him enough to help him this much with one of his inventions. Dr. Wily had even praised Snake Man as a good Robot Master. If he ever found he had made a mistake that could cost him yet another scheme…Snake Man may never be allowed to help out on another mission.

He couldn't call Proto Man for help either, he'd tell Dr. Wily. The only way to fix this without Dr. Wily knowing was to go to the park himself and recalibrate the control towers by hand.

But the park was full of human tourists and android staff. His long, snake-shaped helmet would stick out like a wolf among sheep. The only time he had _ever_ blended in _anywhere_ was when he had been in Mega Man's body—

Then, an idea hit him. A crazy idea, but, he was Dr. Wily's creation after all.

The sole remaining transport chamber lay abandoned in the storage area next to the laboratory. He had smashed its location-positioning chip after their escape from Geneva, and it was useless for teleportation as the Robot International Police had destroyed all of its sister units, but as for switching circuits…

A plan began to form.

The laboratory's storage area also contained an assortment of unfinished robot bodies— _android_ bodies—not very good ones, but they would work as a base for a temporary body. All they lacked was an A.I. complete with a fully functional guidance system. If he used the transport chamber to switch his circuits into one of the bodies, then all he would need was clothes an animatronic mask, and he'd look _human._ He could blend in with the park visitors.

Animatronic masks were used on the criminal underground as passable but temporary disguises. They were not very durable and did not age well, as the subtle skin texturing eventually wore off and underlying circuitry broke down. Dr. Wily had a machine that could print one in a few hours, but it needed a real human reference to copy. Dr. Wily had a digital supply of stolen head scans of various humans, including Dr. Umlauf, but there wasn't time to go looking for these files. Besides, Snake Man wouldn't know which one to pick and didn't want to end up accidentally looking like someone recognizable.

He looked over at Elec Man. Proto Man had said Elec Man's android appearance was good enough to be mistaken as a human even by other robots. Though Elec Man was not an android he'd like to look like, his schematics were already loaded on Dr. Wily's computer while his repairs were in process. It would be simple to transfer Elec Man's likeness onto an animatronic mask and be guaranteed a good disguise.

After thinking this through, Snake Man reasoned this plan would work. Then he paused. He had never thought about making altercations to his own body before. Dr. Wily wouldn't like it…at least, not without his permission first. He worried what Dr. Wily might do if he found out. Would he be angry at the disobedience, or worse yet, feel Snake Man wasn't grateful for the body he had been built with, thereby disrespecting his own creator? He certainly wouldn't want to insinuate that he thought Elec Man was built better, especially not after filling in for his usual jobs for the past week…

Snake Man weighed the pros and cons of going through with this. If he got caught, the consequences could be as bad or worse than just telling Dr. Wily about his mistake in the first place, but it was the only way to save face. Besides, getting in and out of Fun World undetected wouldn't be a problem.

He only needed to be in this body for half a day, tops—and no one would be the wiser.

* * *

Grudgingly wearing the disguise Roll had given him, his armor stowed in a canvas backpack, Mega Man trudged off toward Fun World with Roll and Bobby.

"What's our first move, Mega?" asked Bobby.

"We'll follow the same route you and your parents toured the rides. We'll have to check them all out to find out where he's making his robots."

"Yeah, right. Good idea, Mega Man," said Bobby, a bounce in his stride as he fell into step next to Mega Man. "But you better watch out, can't trust a bot around here. Except for _you,_ of course," he added fawningly.

From Mega Man's other side, Roll gave him a small smirk and rolled her eyes.

As they approached Fun World's parking lot, they noticed group of kids—two boys and one girl—splashing around in a ditch, their jeans spattered in mud. They all jumped guiltily as Mega Man, Roll, and Bobby approached.

"Tommy?" said Bobby in surprise and admonishment.

A boy with the same mousy hair color as Bobby and a baseball cap turned backward stuffed his hands into his pockets. "That's my name, don't wear it out!"

"This is my little brother, Tommy…" said Bobby to Mega Man and Roll, embarrassed. He turned to his brother angrily. "What are you doing out here? I thought you were with Aunt Angie while I went on Ice Mountain with Mom and Dad!"

"Yeah, well, we ditched her. Said we were going to be with you. I'm not tall enough to ride on the roller coasters, and the kids' area is for babies!"

"Yeah, we're playing robots out here," said the girl.

Mega Man blinked at the girl. She looked to be around seven or eight, wore overalls, and had dark red pigtails held together with twin bead hair ties. She seemed very familiar—

_"…Annie?"_

The girl snorted. "Who's Annie? That's not my name!"

"That's Amelia Condor and her brother Jett," said Bobby, "Tommy's friends."

"Jett?" said Mega Man, looking at the young boy wearing a rebel t-shirt.

"Who are you?" asked Jett.

"This is Mega Man!" said Bobby before Mega Man or Roll could stop him.

"That's not Mega Man! That's just some nerd you found!" said Tommy.

"It is too Mega Man!" said Bobby, turning red.

"Big deal! Proto Man's way cooler!" said Tommy.

"What? Bad guys aren't cool!" broke in Mega Man indignantly.

"Proto Man is!" said Jett, grinning.

"You kids are way too young to be out here on your own!" said Roll crossly. "I think. Aren't they?" she added, looking at Mega Man for confirmation.

"Yeah," said Mega Man. He turned toward Bobby. "You better take them home."

"Aw, but Mega—"

"Don't worry. We'll find your parents. You need to be a good big brother and make sure Tommy and his friends stay out of trouble. You can go back with Rush."

Bobby nodded, seemingly satisfied with the importance of this responsibility. He escorted Tommy, Jett, and Amelia around the parking lot, who followed at the promise of an arcade, ice cream and that he wouldn't tell his parents that they'd ditched their babysitter (Tommy stuck his tongue out at Mega Man as they left.)

"What's up with you? Did you know those kids or something? asked Roll.

"Sorta…" said Mega Man. "But they're not supposed to think Proto Man is cool, they're supposed to think _I_ am!"

"Will you get over yourself? They're just kids, they don't know what they're talking about."

"You're right," sighed Mega Man.

They looked ahead to the gates of Fun World. Beyond, they could hear the clacking and whooshing of steel rollercoaster tracks, the delighted screams of humans, and the beat of pop music of over the park speakers.

"You really think Wily's tuning humans into robots in there?" asked Roll.

"Only one way to find out," said Mega Man.

**_To be continued…_ **


	9. Bad Day at Peril Park, Part 2

Ring Man, Magnet Man, and Top Man entered Fun World together through a side entrance leading to the human employee's parking lot. Top Man was wearing an orange windbreaker with tan cargo pants.

"Damn your disguise is good," commented Ring Man. "If I hadn't seen you do that spinning trick to change outfits, I'd have sworn Wily hired a human."

"Thanks. Never had another robot pick up that I'm a robot too, I've got the best human impersonation in the world," Top Man rattled off as though he were selling them insurance.

"Actually, Proto Man's disguise is pretty good," said Ring Man. "Don't count on him joining us though, not his scene."

"Why doesn't he hang out with the Robot Masters?" Top Man asked curiously.

Ring Man shrugged a shoulder. "I've tried. I'd say he's a loner, but really he's just an ass."

Ring Man lead them toward the public side of the park, nodding at the robotic workers they passed. "I know some of the bots around here," he told them. "Especially the one Robot Master who was kinda like the bouncer of this place. His name was open to all kinds of puns."

"Watch your mouth, you know I don't like those kind of jokes," said a deep, earthy voice.

Ring Man turned around. "Hard Man!"

A Robot Master was walking up from behind them, a Fun World badge marked 'Park Security' was welded to his chest. Heavy ultramarine armor, as thick and strong as a super-steel ship hull, protected his oil-drum frame. He walked with smooth, slow steps, his sturdy lower legs carrying his armor's bulk with the same unmovable grace as tank treads on smooth concrete. Sunlight glinted off the heavy silver hands curled into fists at his side.

"How ya doin', how ya doin'," said Hard Man. A broad grin spread across his face, encompassing both Ring Man, Magnet Man, and Top Man. He slapped Ring Man on the back, knocking him forward a couple steps. "Pierce, you punk, I thought ya went rogue!"

"I did, then Proto Man recruited me and now Wily's my boss and I can't leave. Same for you now, huh?"

"That's right, I'm working for Wily now. Gotta warn ya, Pierce, you're in a lot of danger here," said Hard Man, his smile fading. "The humans fired the contractor who built you right after you skipped out. He made a lot of protocol violations when programming you."

Ring Man rolled his eyes. "Yeah? How so?"

"Your work drive is subpar," said Hard Man, counting off on his fingers.

 _"_ So I'm a slacker."

"—You lack respect for authority—"

"So I've got an attitude."

"—And you tell crude jokes _all of the time."_

"That's what people like best about me!"

"Not everyone likes that about you," said Hard Man, the brow of his helmet settling sternly across his eyes.

"C'mon, I'm harmless," said Ring Man, waving a hand. "…Well, I've stolen stuff from hostages at Light University, and I once stood by and watched while Crash Man leveled a skyscraper, but otherwise I'm harmless, really."

"You're an obnoxious jerk, Pierce. I always thought you gave Fun World a bad name," said Hard Man. "But I still missed you, you little shit. Anyway, like I was saying. You gotta be careful. If the humans ever catch you before Wily takes over the world, _total reformat."_ He waved his hands leg warmers each other for emphasis.

Ring Man snorted. _"_ Yeah, yeah, _if_ they catch me."

"You don't understand. Total _reformat._ You're not coded to your original blueprints."

"My original what now?" Ring Man looked over Hard Man's shoulder. "Whoa, is that the Midway?"

He motioned toward Magnet Man to follow him. Hard Man waved after them dismissively. "He'll never listen to me," he said to Top Man. "He's all talk, but I gotta clobber him from time to time for being so mouthy." Hard Man's head swiveled back and forth disapprovingly. Then he paused, looking at Top Man thoughtfully. "Huh. Wily never said anythin' about a human working for him. Where's your souvenir ring?"

Top Man took a hasty step back, glancing briefly at Hard Man's clenched fists. "I'm actually one of you guys—a bot, I mean."

"No kidding! You newer android models are getting too close to the real thing. I guess you really can replace a human with a bot, and today even a bot with a human."

Hard Man shook his head again, then strode back toward the park grounds, leaving Top Man to catch up with Ring Man and Magnet Man.

A tight line of booths rimmed each side of the Midway's gravel path. Pastel colored stuffed animals from apes to zebra unicorns hung from the canopies like a shag carpet rainbow, and each contained its own game: Balloon Darts, Duck Pond (with robotic ducklings that swam away from anyone but the robo-attendant's hand) Milk Bottle, Frog Flinger (the frogs programmed to jump away from goals) a laser light shooting gallery with animatronic targets, a horse race with miniature mechanical horses, a dunk tank, a high striker, break the plate, a water gun race, wack-a-mole, and flukey ball. The few humans gathered in this section of the park were completely engrossed in the games, their faces screwed up in concentration as they emptied their wallets.

"This was the place where I was supposed to work, and this was my booth," said Ring Man, stopping in front of the Ring Toss game.

"Hii~" sang out a voice from the shadow of the striped canopy. The ring toss robo-attendant smirked at them. She wore large hoop earrings, a broad tutu, shocking pink hair in tight ringlets, and body suit from her head to her toes in green and black horizontal stripes. Her face dropped, her eyes sweeping Ring Man's red armor up and down critically and finally landing on his helmet with its yellow blowing bubble like wand attachment. "Um…what the hell are you suppose to be?"

"I'm Ring Man! Or Pierce. I was supposed to be the robo-attendant here but I went rogue."

"Oh," the ring toss robo-attendant snickered, tossing her hair back. "Uh, if you're here for your old job back, you can't have it back. I'm Ring-One and I work here now."

Ring Man's brow furrowed. "…They replaced me with another robot?"

"Uh… _yeah,_ duh? _Two_ robots."

"Hiii~" sang out a second robo-attendant, who looked identical to the first attendant, but wore yellow and black and had pilot light blue hair. "I'm Ring-Two!"

Ring Man stared at them both for a split second. "I'm not after my old job," he told Ring-One, puffing out his chest importantly. "I'm a Robot Master now."

"Oh. So you left your ring-toss job to become a ring-toss Robot Master?" said Ring-One. "That's dumb."

"Yeah, that's dumb," said Ring-Two.

"It's better than staying on as a ring toss robo-attendant," said Ring Man defensively.

"Why? I like being a ring toss robo-attendant," said Ring-One. "We spend all day flirting with humans then ripping them off."

" _Yeah_ ," said Ring-Two.

"Hmm. That does sound pretty great," said Ring Man.

"Yeah, we get suckers to lose at ring toss all the time!" said Ring-One.

"Yeah!" said Ring-Two.

Ring-One made a grand sweeping gesture at the display board behind her. "Whatya say boys, can you put a ring on it?" she called dramatically. She and Ring-Two both tossed a sapphire ring toward the back of the booth at the same, which soared gracefully over a red pole and landed together with a light clink.

"Wow," said Ring Man.

"So how long are you Bad Bots suppose to be here anyway?" asked Ring-One, resting her elbows on the booth's counter.

"Eh, until Wily gets busted, which will probably by the end of the day," said Ring Man. "How are things going here?"

Ring-One waved a hand toward the humans milling around the park, rattling the neon-colored bracelets on her wrist. "Park attendance is way down. You can totally see the sidewalk. I just heard from a robo-operator that the line for the Warpspeed is only four hours long. Can you believe that? We can fit twice the amount of people in here, but everyone wants to spend their summer at Robosaur Park. The humans say the thrills here are overpriced when they have a chance to be eaten by a malfunctioning robo-raptor."

Ring Man's communicator beeped.

"Stop fooling around in Midway, change into your disguise, and get into position before someone recognizes you," Dr. Wily hissed angrily. "Mega Man is on his way here."

"Damn," muttered Ring Man as the transmission ended, looking up at a couple of security cameras that were trained pointedly on him. "We better split up before he really gets on our cases," he muttered to Magnet Man and Top Man.

* * *

Snake Man set to work on his plan immediately, starting with calibrating Dr. Wily's animatronic mask printing machine to Elec Man's schematics.

As he did this, he cast a scornful look at Elec Man. If it hadn't been for Proto Man's constant nagging, Dr. Wily might not have fixed him, and good riddance. He understood Elec Man to be an asset, but a resentful, spoiled one who looked down on any Robot Master he considered stupid (which was nearly everyone).

While Snake Man waited for the animatronic mask to be molded, he rummaged through the storage area for a body that was a good match for Elec Man's. He made sure to select one from the recycling pile that wouldn't be missed, which meant he ended up with a scrapped domestic drone with mismatching contact surfaces in its left knee. It had thin silicon plating and looked a bit like a gray test dummy, exposed wiring could be seen at the joints.

Snake Man placed the body into the transport chamber. He then pulled a work stool up to the keypad on the outside, dropped a _Search Snake_ on top, and gave it instructions to enter in the circuit-switch sequence with its tail after he stepped inside.

The transport chamber lit up like a lantern. Snake Man experienced a familiar falling sensation as his circuits were pulled from his body and into the empty drone body. The light from the transport chamber died down.

Snake Man stumbled out of the transport chamber as the smaller, android skeleton with the mismatched knee, which gave him a slight limp. His sense of smell, hearing, and eyesight felt muted, as though a thin gauze had been wrapped over his sensory receptors. Unlike his armored Robot Master body, this drone body could be ripped apart by plasma fire like papier-mâché.

The _Search Snake_ slithered to the edge of the stool. It cocked its head back and forth, turning its ruby-like eyes from Snake Man to the body in the transport chamber. Snake Man's original body, which was now a shell without A.I. or guidance system, had folded down into a sitting position and looked rather abandoned. Snake Man stroked the _Sea_ r _ch Snake_ between its ear receptors, then closed the door to the transport chamber, where his body would be safe and out of the way, then began thinking about his disguise.

He didn't know much about human clothes except that none of what Elec Man normally wore would pass for casual—Proto Man let Elec Man spend whatever he wanted on disguises, and his tailored suits probably cost the same as a new hover board. Dr. Wily always wore a dress shirt with a red tie and a brass tie bar, but Snake Man decided against it as none of the younger humans at Light University had been wearing one. He headed toward the armory's supply room to look for human clothing.

Astro Man was hovering inside piecing together a jigsaw puzzle of a butterfly as Snake Man opened the door. He snapped to attention, his LCD-display eyes flashing as the anemometer on his helmet whirling like a miniature helicopter. "Oh my. The android skeletons are coming to life!" he squealed before zooming off through the opposite door.

Snake Man locked the door after him to prevent any other robots from entering. That was annoying. He rummaged through a tangle of clothes stuffed into a storage chest and put on a charcoal pullover hoodie, a plain pair of jeans, and black knit gloves, concealing his skeletal robot hands. He supposed these went together. At least the colors wouldn't stick out. The only part of the unfinished android body that could be seen was its feet, which he reasoned looked enough like shoes to go unnoticed. He returned to the laboratory and peeled the freshly printed animatronic mask out of the molding tray, which was still hot to the touch.

The mask itself was a fleshy mass on one side, a web of circuitry on the other. As he pulled it over his head, it tightened snugly over the android's cranium, connecting with his Robot Master programming and synching to his emotion relay circuits. When he had been in Mega Man's body, Mega Man's face would make facial expressions just on what he was thinking—or how he wanted to act. The animatronic mask worked the same, but he could feel it move in a strange way that didn't feel fully integrated into himself, like animated rubber shifting around on his face.

He decided to check his disguise in a mirror.

A haughty looking human looked back at him. Elec Man had piercing, pale eyes, and short, black hair that lay obediently back. Snake Man wasn't a big fan of this hairstyle, and pulled the hood over his head. The animatronic mask responded to his unconscious thoughts and made a face, the reflection crinkled its nose.

But despite this, he felt pleased. The disguise was perfect.

Now to see if he could blend into the Fun World crowd.

* * *

Mega Man and Roll passed under the four story plaster gateway of Marcy Marsupial into Fun World's Souvenir street, a hub of gift shops, smooth asphalt walkways, and crowds of humans dressed in windbreakers and sneakers, wearing fanny packs, cameras hanging around their necks as they posed for photos. The air seemed warmer inside the park and was thick with the mixed smell of chlorine and boiled hot dogs.

"You know, I always wondered what Fun World was like," said Mega Man. "This isn't what I pictured."

"So what are we looking for?" asked Roll.

"Not sure. Wily didn't wait long to get this one off the ground. With any luck, we'll get out ahead of this one before too many humans are affected."

"I dunno. Maybe it'd be cool if all the humans _were_ robots," Roll mused.

"Not if they're drones under Wily's command," said Mega Man, looking around.

It reminded Mega Man of his trip out to California. The park was full of robots, including performers who juggled their heads, gigantic plush stuffed animals that walked on hind legs, tiny custodial bots scurrying after litter like mice, multi-armed drones handing out balloons, and android vendors and ride operators with smiling, human-like faces.

"Remember, we don't know who's really a human and who's really a robot," Mega Man whispered to Roll.

 _"_ _If_ Wily is changing people into robots," Roll responded.

One of these androids moved through the crowd carrying a strapped vending tray. She was styled with puffy pigtails like pom-poms and doe-eyes, wore a Marcy Marsupial branded apron and matching cylinder cap. Wedged in the slots of the vending tray's black velvet bed sat rows of plastic rings.

"Get your free Fun World Souvenir Rings! Everyone's wearing them!" she called.

"Oh wow, like, what a neat ring?" said a blonde woman in a green beret as she and her companion slipped on rings and admired them in the sunlight.

The android approached Mega Man and Roll. "How about you, young human?" she asked Mega Man.

"Can I get a park map?" asked Mega Man.

The android reached into the front of her apron and handed Mega Man a map. "And here's your souvenir ring to go along with it," she added, scooping two of the rings out of their velvet tray and handing them to them. "Have a fun-filled day!"

"Talk about sweet, I could throw up!" sneered Roll as an excited group of pre-teens swarmed the android, shunting them away as they swooped in for rings.

Mega Man looked down at his souvenir ring. It had a shiny gold band with a dull green gem like a split pea. He slipped the ring into his jeans pocket while Roll pitched hers into a teddy bear-shaped trash can.

Mega Man opened the map and looked over the path that Bobby's parents had taken. It looked like they had zig-zagged all over the park, which was divided into five sections: Fun Fair, Water Wharf, Coaster Canyon, the Midway, Kiddy Carnival, and Thrill Thoroughfare.

He pushed up the glasses that had been sliding down his nose as he looked back up at Roll. "This could take awhile at these crowd levels. What's the most popular ride in the park?"

"Easy, Fright Island."

"Great, let's check there first."

"Hold on, that's the line for it," said Roll, pointing to a dense band of humans that wound through the booths of Souvenir Street and out to the other side like a fat python.

"It can't be, the Thrill Thoroughfare is on the other side of the park, that wait must be over nine hours long," said Mega Man as a group of humans jostled him as they pushed past toward an ice cream booth."Will humans really stand in line that long just for one ride?

Roll shrugged.

"We'll have to check back, maybe it'll go down later," said Mega Man. He consulted the map again. Another human bumped roughly into him.

"Watch where you're going!" the man said importantly as he trudged toward the Fright Island line.

" _Hey!"_ Roll called after him. _"You_ watch where _you're_ going you rude jacka—"

Mega Man tugged her sleeve. "Not worth it. C'mon, let's try to get away from this crowd. We've got a lot of ground to cover."

* * *

Snake Man landed the air fighter he had piloted out of Skull Fortress in a glade of oak trees covered in dried brown leaves, covered it with a camouflage tarp, then walked toward the steel track roller coaster hills of Fun World. He was still adjusting to the mismatched knee, which slid back and forth in its socket, occasionally sticking and twisting his leg. He entered through a backdoor, keying in the employee code, crossed through an empty locker room and into a maintenance entrance in Thrill Thoroughfare.

The park was packed. No one seemed to notice as he slipped out of the 'Fun World Helpers Only' door between two tall hedges and into the crowd. He'd have to be careful, if he ran into any of Dr. Wily's other robots who recognized Elec Man, there would be questions. But right now, his full concentration was on maneuvering around the park in this unfamiliar body. The flagstone walkways of Thrill Thoroughfare were wall-to-wall with humans, who were grumpy about line waits and surly with him when he inevitably misstepped and bumped into them. He craned his neck to look over their heads, searching for the tipsy teacups where the nearest control tower lay.

"You look lost," said a voice behind him. Snake Man started and turned around.

An android park vendor was staring right at him.

"What's wrong? Robots don't bite," she said sweetly. She reached into the front of her apron. "Here's a park map," she said, holding out a thick glossy pamphlet.

Snake Man backed off. "It's wasteful to print out individual maps for every tourist when there are large copies placed throughout the park."

The android took the map back. "Oh, okay. Human feedback is very important to us as we are constantly looking for new ways to improve Fun World. Please take this complimentary souvenir ring. It's made of ninety-five percent recycled milk carton caps. Bye now, have a fun-filled day! "

The android pushed the ring into his hand then continued through the crowd, dispersing more maps. Snake Man rolled his eyes. Many of the trash cans were already overflowing with crumpled up maps. Just another problem Dr. Wily would fix when he took over.

Then it hit him. The disguise worked. The android hadn't noticed he was a robot. Feeling emboldened, Snake Man pushed his way into the crowd.

* * *

Dr. Wily had ordered Proto Man to stay close by in the secret laboratory stationed in Fun World, putting Proto Man in charge of Top Man, Ring Man, and Magnet Man. Proto Man didn't particularly _like_ this, but didn't want to push it with Dr. Wily either (at least, not yet) nor did he want to go out into the human masses lining up for fake thrills to search for his brother.

The plaster walls were molded and painted to resemble ancient catacomb bricks. The room had once been one of the central control stations, and was hooked into the security cameras scattered across the park. A mosaic of monitors lined the walls, their footage flipping between various angles of roller coasters, ride queues, seating areas, and park entrances. Dr. Wily was in the other room making adjustments to the master transmitter, which seemed to be having intermittent connection issues.

Proto Man decided to check in with Ring Man and called him on his communicator.

"Mega Man and Roll should be in the park by now, so be ready," Proto Man told Ring Man.

"What exactly to you and Wily expect me to do about it, hop in an air fighter and shoot them out of the sky?" Ring Man retorted.

"Uh, yeah, that would have been helpful! Just keep an eye out for them, okay?"

"Alright, alright, _yeesh,_ you don't have to go all Wily on me."

Proto Man closed the transmission and called Top Man.

"Any sign of Mega Man?" he asked.

"Not yet, but I'm making a pass through Coaster Canyon and Thrill Thoroughfare. You'll be the first to know when I see them."

"That's great. Oh, and Top Man…no hard feelings about the furnace thing?"

"Not at all. I could tell you were pretty scared, and in hindsight I _totally_ get it."

Proto Man bristled. "Scared? I wasn't scared—"

—though Top Man _had_ put the idea into his mind that Centum, a dangerous robot mob boss, might use the Lights to get at him, possibly endangering them—

"—Look, I need you to make good on your promise to work for us," said Proto Man, brushing the thought aside. "If Mega Man is here disguised, he'll look just like one of the humans. It's not going to be easy to find him, and you're the only one who has a likewise disguise that he won't be able to see through. I need you to find him and take care of him before he messes things up."

"Take care of him?" Top Man gave a nervous scoff. "You don't mean _fight_ him, do you?"

"That's your job, Toppy. You want to stay in Wily's army, you gotta do some dirty work."

"…You got it, boss," Top Man said in a seemingly forced casual voice.

Proto Man ended the transmission coldly, hesitated, then lifted his communicator again.

"Proto Man to Magnet Man."

"Yeah?"

"You're the only one on the android team who still has a weapon while in disguise. Make sure you cover Ring Man and Top Man out there, okay?"

There was a long pause.

"…Did you get what I said?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Don't slack off or I'm splitting you and Ring Man up from now on, got it?"

There was another long pause.

"Magnet Man, got it?"

"Yeah?"

"I mean it."

"Kay."

Proto Man turned off his communicator. Dr. Wily would have been better off sending Cut Man and Guts Man out in mascot suits. But searching for Mega Man wasn't Proto Man's only problem.

The latest troop of human robots had been acting funny, almost as if they weren't receiving all of their orders. Proto Man kept this to himself, not wanting to puncture Dr. Wily's good humor about this mission, though he suspected that there was something wrong with the sync between the control towers and micro receivers. He had been calling Snake Man for an hour to get to the root of the problem, but Snake Man didn't seem to be at his post. Typical.

Elec Man could have handled all four jobs in half the time, with less questions and less supervision. Proto Man remembered Elec Man was currently lying powered down on a lab table because of a design flaw and Proto Man's carelessness. The sooner they were done at Fun World, the sooner Dr. Wily would fix Elec Man, and the less he'd have to deal with the other Robot Masters.

* * *

"We've checked out the first six rides already, Mega!" said Roll, crossing off Timber Falls, Danger Rapids, Twisted River, Tubular Raceway, Splash Slides, and Deepsea Dive from the map, "And we've come up with zip, notta clue to where Wily's making his bots!"

"It's not all bad news," Mega Man pointed out. "At least we managed to keep Wily from discovering us."

Mega Man noticed the line for Fright Island winding over the drawbridge to Thrill Thoroughfare in the distance.

"What is Fright Island anyway?" he asked Roll.

Roll shrugged. "Some kind of haunted house attraction. Ghosts and goblins, that sort of thing."

They took one of the boardwalks out of Water Wharf. It threaded through a circular tunnel with twisting walls. Mega Man noticed that the sound of the crowd was fading behind them. After reaching the other side, they stopped and looked around.

"Where are we?" asked Roll.

The concrete sidewalks were speckled with pastel pebbles. Trash cans were shaped like circus animals, and _March of the Gladiators_ played over the speakers. A brightly painted train wound its way through a garden. Tall trees with golden leaves swayed in the wind, their branches strung with string pennants.

"This must be the Kiddy Carnival," said Mega Man, gazing at a large pink tent that stood at the center of the park. "Huh. Wonder why no one is here."

A shadow dropped from the tunnel above onto the path before them, landing with a light clatter like toppling tin cans. Mega Man and Roll jumped back, Roll reaching for the sleeve covering her utility arm, Mega Man slinging his canvas backpack to one shoulder, ready to grab his armor.

"Boo!"

A small robot bounced to his feet like a spring. He had long, hose like arms armored in alternating lemon yellow and mint green titanium bands that jingled against each other as he moved. His helmet was split into two tails like a harlequin cap, and his eyes and lips were rimmed in bright scarlet paint. He waddled toward them, his purple hands trailing against the ground like an orangutang.

"Did I scare you?" the robot asked excitedly. He had a boyish voice.

Roll and Mega Man glanced at each other, Roll lowering her utility arm as Mega Man put his backpack on again.

"Well, you _startled_ us," said Roll.

"Why are you trying to scare people? Isn't this the kids' section?" asked Mega Man.

"Because I'm a clown…" said the robot. "I'm programmed to entertain guests in the best way possible. Here's the thing though…humans are _terrified_ of clowns. I can't reach my max potential working in the kids' section. However, humans _love_ to be scared out of their minds at _horror_ attractions. I want to scare teenagers, and adults! They'll rebrand 'Kiddy Carnival' to 'Clown Man's Circus of Terror.' It'll become an e-ticket attraction! I'll be way scarier than the ghoul-robots at Fright Island! I can even out scare Las Vegas's Shade Man anyday! Newsflash, vampires are not that scary. So 1930s, am I right? I'm destined to be a frightener! Not some play toy for spoiled brats!"

"True, but you look more like a jester or a king's fool than a clown," Roll said critically. The robot scrunched his face at this, and rocked away from them on his long feet, which were adorned with bright red spheres. "No offense, but creepy clowns have crazy-hair, big red noses, and a bloody mallets. Have you thought about letting your armor rust a little bit?"

The clown robot wrapped an arm around its head. " _Rusty armor?_ Ewwww. That would be pretty good though. I could fake it with craft paint. I did replace my teeth."

He smiled broadly at them with a row of sharp, metal teeth that interlocked like the grooves in a cogwheel. Mega Man felt his circuits twist. He remembered Bobby's little brother had described this section of the park 'for babies', but wondered if he had met this clown. Meanwhile, Roll had taken a professional interest in the robot's plight.

"That's a good start. Have you thought of double tracking your voice?"

"What do you mean?"

"Double your vocal output, then drop the second track's pitch."

"What, like this?" asked the clown robot. His voice echoed with a second voice that was low and demonic. He jumped. "Whoa! That's so creepy!" He said, switching back to his default voice in his excitement. "I'm going to try it out on someone!" He stretched one of his long arms toward a tree branch.

"Wait! We have a question," said Roll. "Have you noticed anything weird happening in the park lately? Like humans disappearing?"

The clown robot shrugged. "Dunno, there never have been very many humans in the Kiddy Carnival."

"Have you noticed anything else weird going on?" asked Roll.

The clown robot scratched his head. "Can't say."

"Well, thanks anyway," said Roll. "Keep practicing your scary act. I'm sure you'll become a real frightener some day."

"Thanks!" The clown robot swung himself into the tree and disappeared into the leaves.

"Why on earth are you helping that robot become a monster?" asked Mega Man.

"I'm making a friend!"

"…With a creepy clown?"

"He's not creepy yet. He's got a _long_ way to go. Don't tell me you're scared of clowns."

"It's not that, I just…" Mega Man trailed off.

"Nothing to be ashamed of. He's right. Most humans _are_ scared of clowns. Besides, I don't think he's under Dr. Wily's control… and he might be useful." She pointed toward a pathway. "C'mon, that's a shortcut to the Fun Fair. No one's left here, so no point in looking around any further."

* * *

As Mega Man and Roll returned to the red brick sidewalks of the Fun Fair, a crowd surged out the exit doors of the Cosmic Dome like a tidal wave, pushing Mega Man and Roll back like driftwood. In a matter of seconds, he had lost sight of her in the crowd.

"Roll?"

He spun around on the spot. He couldn't see her anywhere. He stood on his tip toes, attempting to look over the heads of the sea of humans. A woman in leg warmers knocked into him, stomping on the heel of his sneaker while murmuring a cheery apology as she brushed past with her friends, laughing breathlessly about the ride they had been on.

Mega Man edged backward to a wall to fix his shoe, then pulled out a communicator from his backpack. "Roll, Roll! Where are you?" he whispered into it, his back to the crowd.

"I'm by the trash can by the carousel," said Roll.

Mega Man looked around. " _I'm_ by the trash can by the carousel!"

"Which one? I can't see you. Can you see me? I'm waving my hand."

"No, I can't see you," sighed Mega Man. Another human bumped into him, oblivious to the fact that she had whacked him hard with her carpet bag. "This is stupid, we'll never find each other in this crowd. Split up?"

"Alright. I call Coaster Canyon!"

"Damn, I don't want to do Midway…" Mega Man sighed. "Alright, call me if you find Wily."

"Will do!" said Roll.

* * *

Snake Man finished re-synching the control towers without a hitch (though he had been plied with eight more souvenir rings, had his toes ran over by strollers, been shoved around by humans of all ages (causing him to stumble over his mismatched knee) and had been forced to wait for a parade as a dense mob of spectating humans suddenly surrounded him like a barricade).

He had also succeeded in avoiding negative attention, particularly from robots, but he wasn't completely invisible. Some of the humans who had caught sight of his face had given him interested second glances. Snake Man didn't like the attention, _especially_ when he was disguised as someone else. He pulled on the drawstrings of the hoodie and ignored them as he pushed his way out of the center of the park.

Longing to be away from it all and to get back to his own body in Skull Fortress, Snake Man decided to seek out the fastest way out of the park. The walkways had too many humans in them to navigate easily without tripping, and the wait for the monorail was too crowded.

The automated Pod Transit one of the park's oldest and least popular rides, its egg-shaped carriages decorated in bright geometric patterns. It had stops all around the park, including one at the main entrance. Snake Man decided this was probably his best choice, and began making his way through a tour group and past the carousel queue towards its raised boarding platform.

* * *

Roll was looking for the archway to Coaster Canyon when someone in the crowd caught her eye. Pushing through the turnstiles for the Fun World Pod Transit was a man in a gray hoodie with dark hair and pale eyes. He had a naggingly familiar face that she couldn't immediately place.

A blurry memory surfaced in her mind. Could it be? She pushed past an Australian tour group and made a bee-line for the Pod Transit.

* * *

Snake Man made his way past a small family with toddlers and an elderly couple searching for a bench to an empty carriage at the end of the Pod Transit. Relieved to be out of the crowd, he stepped inside, feeling light and ready for the trip home.

Someone slipped through the closing door and rested their hand against his elbow.

Snake Man looked back, then gave a violent start. Roll had boarded the carriage with him— _and was looking right at him._

"Wait, I think I know you," she said.

The egg-shaped pod began to move. Inside, only the sound of clicking and squeaking wheels could be heard. The pod was the size of an elevator cab, a small flickering light at its top, a wrap around bench for three at its back. Trees slid past the oblong windows.

Snake Man could feel Roll's nails against his elbow. He pulled his arm out of her grasp quickly—he didn't want her to feel the silicon casing underneath the sleeve. But she was looking at his face—Elec Man's face—and hadn't seemed to notice anything else.

The android's body didn't seem to know how to process the overload of data being relayed from Snake Man's Robot Master mind. His power generator was burning uncomfortably in his chest.

"I'm sorry?" he said, playing dumb.

"You saved me once, didn't you." She took off the sunglasses she had been wearing. Her sky blue eyes pierced him like skewers.

Roll must be referring to when Proto Man ordered Elec Man to drive her home while she was recovering from Dr. Wily's retro virus. She remembered that? "You have me c-confused with someone else," he faltered.

"No, I know it was you, I remember."

Snake Man tried to think of anything to say to counter this, but he was freezing up, and the jaw of the animatronic mask felt as though it had rusted shut. Maybe she'd lose interest if he just ignored her. It didn't seem likely, her gaze was on him like high beams, and it was making it difficult for him to think.

Roll seemed to take his silence as admission.

"You rescued me. But you're—a _human._ How did you fight off Proto Man?"

 _Say something!_ He forced his mouth to unstick. "I was just in the right place at the right time," he said, voicing what he was thinking aloud.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! He had just confirmed that he knew what she was talking about. Now she was going to think he had fought off Proto Man and taken her to safety, when really Proto Man had simply ordered Elec Man to drive her home after Snake Man had alerted to him of his sister's critical condition.

"I _knew_ it was you," said Roll. She narrowed her eyes and dropped her voice. " _They're here,_ aren't they? Wily's robots? And that's why you're here too?"

Snake Man had no idea how to back out from this. The only way out was through the pod's door, but he wasn't confident that this body would be strong enough to force open the safety lock nor did he think it'd be fast enough to get past Roll, who would probably try to stop him. His best chance would be to stall for time, then bolt as soon as the pod's doors opened. Then he remembered he wouldn't be able to run on the mismatched knee.

"Just f-forget it, okay? I'm not who you think I am."

"Then who are you? Are you a cop? Secret Agent? Spy?"

"…What? No—"

"But you're not a crook, right? You don't have to be nervous."

"I'm not n-nervous!" said in a voice that was a little higher than he had meant it. He never stuttered this badly in Mega Man's body.

Roll's brows furrow. "Wait…you don't work for Senator King, do you?"

Snake Man wasn't sure why Roll was asking this. "No."

"Good." Roll relaxed a little. "You know something. Wily _is_ here, isn't he?"

"I can't tell you."

"Can I have a name at least?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm—I'm—undercover!" He could say that much, it wasn't a lie.

…Why couldn't he come up with a convincing lie?

"So you _are_ a cop."

"No, I'm not," he said, beginning to feel insulted.

"Yeah, _riiight."_

"I'm _not,_ " he reiterated more forcefully.

Roll crossed her arms and looked down her nose at him. "I should call my brother, Mega Man."

"Don't—" Snake Man blurted out before he could stop himself. He was digging himself into a deeper hole by the second, and she knew it. Roll was smirking at him.

"Alright, I won't— _if_ you agree to help me."

The pod transit had come to a stop. The door slid open, but she was blocking the exit.

Snake Man hesitated. "Okay." The word tumbled from his mouth like a rock.

Roll grinned at him, then sauntered out of the carriage and onto the platform.

Should he follow? Roll was going to disrupt Dr. Wily's plan, and Snake Man couldn't allow that to happen. But the longer Roll spent with him, the more likely she would notice his android body and his animatronic face. The only thing saving him from her immediate suspicion was that she thought he was a human who had saved her from Dr. Wily's retro-virus. While he had _technically_ saved her (or at least he had been the one to call Proto Man for help) he had no intention of leading her on as some sort of hero. He hadn't been trying to be a hero, only the retro-virus had just been a horrible thing to use on Roll—

 _Focus!_ _The retro-virus was a smart thing though for Dr. Wily to use on his enemies,_ Snake Man told himself sternly, squashing back the counterargument brewing in his mind, _Just like the smart thing to do right now would be to keep Dr. Wily's enemies distracted from his current operation._

He stepped out of the carriage. He would lead Roll on a goose chase, keeping her as _far_ away from Fright Island as possible.

**_To be continued..._ **


	10. Bad Day at Peril Park, Part 3

Mega Man entered the Midway with reservations. Of all the sections of the park, the gaming section was the seediest. He wished he was investigating Coaster Canyon instead with Roll, which was supposed to be home to some of the park's best rides.

As Mega Man walked down the gravel paths, he looked over robo-attendants and the humans playing the games, trying to discern if there were any Bad-bots around. He wondered wistfully if Proto Man was hiding out in the park somewhere disguised as a human. Then he wondered if he'd even recognize him if he was. Mega Man had never seen Proto Man without his helmet and was very curious to see what he looked like, though he had a hunch Proto Man preferred to keep it that way.

Two robo-attendants were sitting behind the counter of a ring toss booth, one with pink hair and dressed in green and black stripes, the other with blue hair and dressed in yellow and black. As Mega Man passed by, the pink-haired robo-attendant looked up at him, casting his clothing a scornful look. "Like, what are you wearing?"

"Yeah," said the blue-haired robo-attendant. "What are you _wearing?"_

Mega Man stopped, not sure how to respond. _"_ Um…clothes?"

"Oh my god, you are such a nerd," said the first robo-attendant. "And not even a cute one. Like a boring, nerdy, scientist type."

"…That's extremely rude," said Mega Man. He looked down at the sign in front of their booth. "Twenty dollars to play ring toss? Really?"

"Yeah, sure, what to give it a try? If you make a ringer, the game is on us and you win a sweet prize!"

The androids turned and threw sapphire rings toward the back of the booth in perfect synchronization, making perfect ringers.

Mega Man was not very interested in the stuffed animal prizes, but despite his better judgment, he picked up the stack of rings from the counter.

Though Mega Man had no problem shooting a Bad-bot off the wings of the Skullker from the back of Rush while dodging a laser volley, he couldn't get a ringer on any of the targets less than twenty feet away from him.

"Is this game rigged?" he asked after he had lost the last of his rings.

"Yup, totally," said the first robo-attendant shamelessly.

"Yup!" said the second one.

"Now pay up!"

Mega Man reluctantly dug into his wallet and handed over a twenty dollar bill to the first robo-attendant, who looked very pleased with herself. Then, quietly, he said, "I'm looking for my friend," he invented. "He came here yesterday but never came back. Have either of you noticed any visitor disappearing from Fun World?"

"Why would a human disappear from here? It's only the funnest place on earth," said the first robo-attendant.

"Yeah," said the second robo-attendant.

"Just kidding, we're programmed to say that," said the first. "This place is a total dump."

"Yeah!" said the second robo-attendant.

"Please, I'm just looking for my friend. I've been looking all over the park for clues."

"Oooooohhhh," replied the robo-attendants with unconvincing tones of interest.

"An overgrown hall monitor. That's what he looks like," the first robo-attendant commented to the other, clearly not paying attention to him nor caring if he overheard.

Meanwhile, Mega Man noticed two androids in human clothing coming up the gravel path. One was dressed as a punk. He wore a red graphic t-shirt layered over a yellow and black striped shirt, a striped beanie over his curly, chin-length dark red hair, and had several ring piercings in his ears and on his lower lip. He had a small upturned nose with a bump in the middle of its bridge, and clever, light blue eyes.

The other wore a plain t-shirt with a rust stain on it and ripped jeans. He had a blank-eyed stare, not like the green soldiers, but like he was bored or had just rolled out of bed. Though his platinum-blond hair was styled in short spikes (a popular style with humans), that seemed to be the most amount of care he had put into his appearance, as the spikes leaned toward one side and reminded Mega Man a bit of iron filings on the pole of a magnet.

The first robo-attendant looked past Mega Man at the two androids approaching. She turned to the other robo-attendant.

"Hey, what's that loser's name again…" she muttered. "Oh yeah. Hey, Ring Man!" she called out. "This human is asking about the missing humans. What were we suppose to do again when that happens?"

"I dunno, tell him to get a life," the android dressed as a punk called back.

Mega Man whirled, staring. " _Ring Man?"_

"Yeah, that's me," replied the android, smirking. He looked Mega Man over. "Wait, don't I know you?" He scrutinized him for a long time. Then his smile dropped off his face. "…Oh shit." He hit the shoulder of the android next to him. "Hey."

"What?"

"It's _him_!" Ring Man hissed.

"Huh?"

The other android looked at Mega Man, then over at a metal fence, making a grasping gesture at it as though clawing the air. The fence seemed to jump from the ground, then struck out at Mega Man like a whip.

"Argh!" said Mega Man, recoiling from the unprovoked attack. "Magnet Man too?!"

Ring Man withdrew behind Magnet Man, snickering. Mega Man realized he was at a distinct disadvantage against Magnet Man. He couldn't use his plasma cannon nor copy weapons without wearing his armor, meanwhile Magnet Man apparently could still use _Magnet Hold_ against him, even without his armor. Magnet Man began making sweeping motions at his surroundings, lifting objects off the ground as though they had suddenly become weightless, then he sent them hurtling at Mega Man.

Mega Man carefully jumped over a trashcan, a drinking fountain, a bumper car, a dirty mop and pail, a Marcy Marsupial talking animatronic, a hotdog stand, the bell from the high striker game, a metal planter, a 'Don't Feed the Ducks' sign, and a round picnic table with a foldable umbrella.

The humans seemed to think this was some sort of rehearsed stunt show. A few gathered around in a circle to watch, others continued on without interest, complaining that it was boring, claiming that the flying projectiles were a cheap effect they'd seen done better at competing amusement park chains, and wishing the show was about Mega Man, Roll, or even Proto Man.

Magnet Man seemed to realize he wasn't getting anywhere by throwing things at Mega Man, and switched tactics. He ran in between an automated information booth and a donut pushcart, which was currently closed with a sign that said 'Out of sugar, flour, and fun sprinkles.' Then he braced himself, holding his palms toward Mega Man, and began to pull Mega Man closer with _Magnet Hold._

Mega Man turned around and began running, his feet slipping against the gravel as the _Magnet Hold_ tugged him backward like a lasso. He grabbed onto a lamppost, but Magnet Man was able to bend that as easily as a pipe cleaner, and Mega Man soon found himself sliding down it and closer to Magnet Man.

A thought occurred to Mega Man—he may be weaponless, but there was no way Magnet Man could beat him in hand-to-hand combat. This thought must have also occurred to Magnet Man too, but a second too late—Mega Man let go of the lamppost and kicked off the ground, letting the pull of _Magnet Hold_ propel him through the air, then slammed into Magnet Man.

There was a bit of a scuffle as Mega Man wrestled Magnet Man to the ground, restraining him. He then grabbed the back of Magnet Man's neck and pushed hard against his cranial relay cable. Magnet Man struggled for a few seconds before powering down.

Mega Man rose to his feet, and would have liked to have discreetly put on his plasma cannon so he could take Magnet Man's weapon, when the lifebuoy-sized donut sculpture from the donut pushcart's sign struck him hard in the back of his head. Without his helmet, it felt like the crack of a steel baseball bat and bowled him over into the gravel path, knocking his glasses askew.

"Haha, nice catch!" jeered Ring Man. Mega Man felt two metal feet stomp down on him as Ring Man jumped off his back like a springboard, leaping over a concrete barrier on the side of the path, tromped through a garden of dahlias, over another barrier and toward the funhouse. "So long, sucker!"

Mega Man got up, rubbing his head, then realized Ring Man had snatched his backpack with his armor and communicator in it. "Hey!" he called after him, straightening his glasses.

He tore after Ring Man, leaving Magnet Man lying behind the information booth. Mega Man didn't want to run through the garden and attract park security, so he took the walking paths around—not taking into account the crowds, which he had to zig-zag around as no one would get out of his way (in fact, the humans who had been watching them were disappointed that the 'show' didn't have a satisfying conclusion, and those who hadn't were annoyed at him for charging around). It was not surprising that he quickly lost sight of Ring Man.

When Mega Man finally reached the funhouse, he hesitated. He hadn't seen for sure if Ring Man had gone inside. The funhouse would have millions of places for Ring Man to hide, but it would also waste lots of Mega Man's time if Ring Man had bypassed it. He began to worry. _Damn, if Ring Man hands my armor to Dr. Wily…_

He wondered if Ring Man would actually do that. He had a reputation for being very lazy, and might not have gone very far…

Before he could decide, he saw a figure dart around the corner of the funhouse toward its entrance. Without delay, Mega Man took a running jump—

—and tackled a human with sandy blond hair.

"Oh, wow, sorry…." Mega Man said awkwardly, quickly getting up. "Are you alright?" He hoped he hadn't hurt the human, he had mistaken him for Ring Man but admittedly was not thinking very clearly in his alarm about losing his armor.

"Sure, I'm fine," said the human, dusting off his orange windbreaker. He looked up at Mega Man, then did a double take. "Huh."

"What?" asked Mega Man.

"Sorry, nothing, you just look like someone I know from work."

Mega Man pulled the brim of his baseball hat lower, hoping the human did not recognize him as Mega Man. "Did you see another guy run through here? He stole my backpack."

"You mean the curly haired guy in a beanie?"

"Yes!"

The man pointed down a path toward Souvenir Street. "That way."

Mega Man didn't hesitate. "Thanks!"

* * *

Top Man watched Mega Man run down an asphalt walkway toward Souvenir Street. Ducking into the shadow of the funhouse's canopy, he lifted his communicator.

"Top Man to Proto Man…just saw Mega Man, sending him back to the front of the park."

"Great, keep him busy," replied Proto Man. "I'll take care of him if he gets too close."

* * *

Ring Man took a shortcut out of the funhouse, looped back around to find Magnet Man, dragged him under one of the funhouse's bridges, then reactivated him.

"God this thing's heavy," Ring Man complained, dumping Mega Man's canvas backpack. He opened the top and looked inside. "Whoa, all his armor's in there! Can't believe he's been carrying it around in a backpack."

"What a dork," said Magnet Man.

"Yeah, like, he should wear it and walk around the park showing off and charging for autographs or something," said Ring Man. He paused, thinking about what he should do next. "Hey, wanna see if the Midway attendants want to hang out?"

"Yeah."

They climbed out from under the bridge, leaving the backpack behind.

* * *

Roll hadn't had any clues on the identity of her rescuer since the day it had happened. The fact that she had run into him again during another of Dr. Wily's plots couldn't be coincidence. She didn't know enough about him to fully trust him, even if he _had_ saved her from Proto Man and the robosaurs, but if he really was against Dr. Wily, he could be a useful ally. Either way, he was definitely hiding something. Yet, the more secretive he was about his background, the more interesting it might be. Maybe she could trick him into letting something slip while he helped her investigate Fun World.

* * *

After walking down from the Pod Transit, Snake Man and Roll looked over the park. Roll filled him in about the green soldiers at the dog show, about Bobby and his parents, and how she and Mega Man had spent all morning searching for Dr. Wily. Of course, none of this was new information to Snake Man (and he certainly didn't care about the human brat or his parents) but he listened anyway as he steadied his nerves.

When he finally felt he had himself under control, he asked, "Where have you been looking so far?"

"The rides," said Roll. "We figure Wily is hiding on something that's going to attract lots of people."

"We should investigate Kiddy Carnival," said Snake Man, choosing a location on the other side of the park.

"Been there, done that. Ghost town. I'm supposed to check out Coaster Canyon next."

Coaster Canyon…that was a little closer to Fright Island than Snake Man would have liked, but Coaster Canyon should have enough to distract her with.

They turned toward the gate to Coaster Canyon, when Snake Man suddenly crouched down behind a park bench.

"What is it?" asked Roll, crouching next to them.

Snake Man pointed up at the metal crows on a pink wall dividing the Fun Fair and Coaster Canyon. They swiveled around on their single 'leg', beaks open, a lens inside which panned the crowd.

"Cameras. C'mon, we can sneak by when it changes direction."

They waited until the robo-crows turned their tails on them, then hurried through the archway into Coaster Canyon.

"How do you know where the cameras are?" Roll asked.

"Can't say."

"You never worked here, did you?"

"No."

"You know, you could at least give me a name. It doesn't even have to be a real one."

"…No."

Roll gave an exasperated sigh. Snake Man felt uncomfortably aware of her presence and tightened the drawstrings on his hood.

They looked over the nest of tracks that arched, curved, spiraled, and looped overhead like ribbons in bold, appealing colors. The steel walkways were lined with wavy, tubular railings, mimicking the roller coaster hills, and the ride attendants wore metal uniforms with long points that streamlined backward, which made them look a bit like sculptures from a modern art museum.

"Are you good with coasters?" asked Roll.

"Yeah I'm good with coasters," Snake Man replied, slightly defensive.

"Great. We can skip the Zoooommmm! and Full Throttle," said Roll. "No way Dr. Wily could hide something on either of them."

Both _'Zoooommmm!'_ and Full Throttle were outdoor roller coasters. Full Throttle's lift hill was the tallest point in the park. They could see its train of red cars zipping around Coaster Canyon in a blur.

"We're not sure what we're looking for," Roll added. "So to be safe, we are checking everything out."

"If you don't know what you're looking for, how do you know you haven't seen it already but missed it because it blended in with the ride?"

Roll snorted. "No way, Wily is as subtle as a firework. He can't help himself. Don't worry, we'll know when we find him."

Snake Man wanted to retort to this, but Roll continued on before he could.

"By the way, _when_ we find him, I need you to stay back. Wily is targeting humans. I don't think he will hurt you, but you'll be sorry if you're captured."

Snake Man was about to retort again, to say that he wasn't afraid and didn't need to be protected, but then remembered the context and held his tongue, nodding instead.

Snake Man continued to point out security cameras to avoid, which seemed to impress Roll. A small, guilty part of himself was pleased too, though he reminded himself he was only doing this because he'd be in a lot of trouble if Dr. Wily spotted an Elec Man look-alike in the crowd.

They headed for the Warp Speed, a popular indoor roller coaster with a start acceleration from zero to one hundred and eleven mph. They waited in line for a half hour (Roll kept a string of small talk going, though Snake Man would only supply her with short, nondescript answers whenever she asked him a question) before boarding a train car side-by-side.

A smiling android lowered a safety harness over them. There was a countdown, and then the train took off, the sudden launch force pressing Snake Man into his seat and pushing off his hood. The coaster rushed through a series of corkscrews and plummets and twists through a dark warehouse lit with star-like lights that streaked past in lines, until quite abruptly, it was all over and the train came to a slow halt back at the loading station. Before climbing out, Snake Man hastily pulled the hood of his hoodie back over his head while subtly checking that his animatronic mask hadn't been knocked loose (fortunately, it hadn't).

Roll looked at him, then at the humans exiting. "Nothing…let's try the next one."

They headed for the roller coaster across from the Warp Speed, but found the ride entrance roped off and a ride attendant turning away guests.

"We're sorry, the Supersonic is down! Come back later!" she was calling out as they approached. "Mam, you cannot go on this ride while it's closed," she told them when Roll pretended not to hear this order and push past anyway (much to Snake Man's second-hand embarrassment). "A guest dropped his Marcy Marsupial souvenir cap on the tracks. Our technicians are working as fast as they are programmed to resolve the issue."

"Can't we just take a look at the inside? Please?" asked Roll.

"You are welcome to wait in line," said the ride attendant, "But I don't know how long the ride will be down. I would suggest going to one of our many other attractions, or checking out one of our many fun gift shops. Bye now, have a fun-filled day!"

Roll waved a hand at the ride. "Forget it." Then she whispered to Snake Man, "That could be where Wily is. We'll come back when they least expect it."

Snake Man was growing anxious. On one hand, it was good that Roll was distracted by a ride that was not Fright Island. But if she tried to force her way onto the ride, she might also start a commotion, and then the android would call for security. He had seen Hard Man, and wouldn't want to be escorted out of the park by _him._

The crowds, disappointed by the temporary closure of the Supersonic, were heading toward the other roller coasters, increasing their wait times. Roll was frustrated. She seemed not to have realized the popularity of the rides would slow down her investigation, and waiting in lines was becoming increasingly aggravating, though she seemed glad to at least have company, even if Snake Man wouldn't talk much to her.

Meanwhile, Snake Man was trying not to think about things like what if his animatronic mask malfunctioned or his mismatched leg became stuck in an awkward way, making it impossible to walk, or if his emotions got so out of control that his generator overheated and he powered down in front of Roll. His thoughts frantically flip-flopped. What if she recognized his boots as android boots? He was being paranoid. Or was he? He should have spent more time on his disguise. What if she figured out he was a Wily bot? He hoped she wouldn't, he didn't want to fight her…that, and she could easily destroy him in this body.

"…What's wrong?" Roll asked as they walked away from a wooden roller coaster named Barrel Blast.

"Nothing," he lied.

She gave him a long stern look. "I know you're hiding something, and _if_ it's something bad, you'd better come clean about it now. I really appreciate you helping me back when the Robosaurs were on the loose, but if you get in the way of stopping Dr. Wily…"

She trailed off. Snake Man couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by her. He looked down at his feet, then something on the ground caught his attention, wiping all of that out of his mind.

"Watch out!"

He held out an arm in front of Roll, stopping her short, then dropped down and scooped up a small green frog hopping across the walking path. He pushed through the crowd, carrying it over to a hedge, and let it go, where it hopped away toward a pond. He gave Roll a quick look out of the corner of his eye then away again. "Sorry, I didn't want it to get smooshed," he explained stiffly.

"It's okay. It was a nice thing to do. It's cool you like animals."

"No I don't," said Snake Man.

This was a poor lie, and Roll must have seen through it, for she gave him an amused smile and rolled her eyes. He quickly turned his back on her.

"C'mon, dork," she said, grabbing him by the elbow and leading him toward the next roller coaster.

* * *

It was sometime later before Mega Man realized the human in the orange windbreaker had given him bad directions. He decided to backtrack to the funhouse where he had seen Ring Man disappear, mentally kicking himself for how much time he had lost already and hoping the next time he saw his armor, it wasn't on one of Dr. Wily's robots. If Roll ever found out that he had been bested by _Ring Man,_ she'd never let him live it down.

The funhouse was filled with low ceilings, shifting floors, moving cardboard cutouts, flashing cabochon lightbulbs, squashy cartoon sound effects, strange mirrors, and small robotic toys.

Mega Man had wandered through the brightly painted rooms for some time, and was standing by a swimming pool sized ball pit, feeling clueless on where to go next, when he felt something nip at his ankle like a rat. He looked down and saw a white metal hand with purple fingers reel through the end of a slide. Mega Man turned around to look at the entrance of the slide, and saw the clown robot, his extendable arm retracting to its normal position by his side.

"Boy this place is fun," said the clown robot, jumping into the ball pit. He popped out again, and looked at Mega Man. "I guess that's why they call it a 'funhouse,' huh?"

"We're also in a Fun World," Mega Man pointed out. Inwardly, he was not pleased to see the clown show up unexpectedly again, but he smiled brightly, hoping to hide this unease.

He wasn't the only one to be creeped out. Over the clown's shoulder, Mega Man saw a pair of kids enter the ball pit room through a sliding staircase. They took one look at the back of the clown and blanched, quickly turning around and climbing back into the room they came from without making a sound.

The clown leaped out of the ball pit and bounced up and down in front of a wavy mirror set into the wall, making faces and giggling at his distorted reflection. Then the clown turned his candy green eyes on him.

"No offense but I think you're a little too big for a place like this," he said, casting his gaze up and down over Mega Man.

"I'm looking for a guy who stole my backpack and ran in here," said Mega Man. "Ex-Fun World employee. Curly hair and a striped beanie. Maybe you know him?"

The clown robot scratched his head. "I think I saw someone like that. But he didn't stay here—he went that way to find his friend—" he said, pointing out a window. "— Though he left the backpack under a bridge, I think."

"That's perfect, thanks!" said Mega Man, glad to have an excuse to leave the clown immediately.

* * *

"…You're welcome!" Clown Man called after him.

To his right, a kid came out of a twisting tunnel, spotted him, screamed, then began crying.

Clown Man jumped and turned, holding up his hands. "Aw nuts…I'm sorry kid, I'm really not trying to scare kids…its all fake! I swear!"

The boy began crying louder.

"Who am I kidding…I'm terrible with kids. I'll just go now…though I wonder where _he_ went," he said with a giggle, extending a hand toward the ceiling and disappearing through a small crawlspace between the tiles.

* * *

Roll and Snake Man went on four more rollercoasters: The Flash Forward (the smaller cousin of the Warp Speed which had a launch acceleration of eighty-eight mph), the Speed Demon (the fastest roller coaster in the park), and the Rocketeer Returns (a flying roller coaster with dramatic loops and drops) By the time they had finished Around the World in Eighty Seconds, the Supersonic had reopened, and Roll was disappointed to find that ride normal as well.

To Snake Man's dismay, they were running out of rides. He'd have to think up some excuse to keep them from going to Thrill Thoroughfare. The obvious solution was to lie to Roll that he had already investigated that side of the park and seen nothing unusual, but he couldn't get the words out.

"Are you sure you don't want to check out Zoooommmm! and Full Throttle?" he asked instead.

"No point," said Roll. "Whoops, I think we made a wrong turn…we're in the Midway."

A bored robo-attendant was leaning on her arm in her booth, drumming her fingers against the counter, but perked up at the sight of them. "Hey blue eyes, win a prize for your pretty lady friend?" she sang out, winking at Snake Man. "I'll let you play for free if you promise not to tell anyone~"

"Yech! I can see where Ring Man came from," said Roll. "These carney bots are the worst!" She jerked her head behind them. "C'mon, let's go back."

Snake Man was glad they were not going to stay in the Midway. There was a high chance they might run into Ring Man or Magnet Man here. He also didn't like the way the robo-attendant had singled him out.

They took a different way back to Coaster Canyon that was less congested than other areas of the park, containing small vendor stands on one side and a row of leafless trees on the other. The sounds of the crowd was less here too. Roll went quiet, listening to the music playing over the speakers.

"I love this song," she said. "It's by Gigavolt."

"What?"

"Gigavolt. They're one of my favorite bands. Ever heard of them?"

"No." Snake Man listened too. The tune was soft and moody, with the gentle rhythm from the drums, a slow strumming of an acoustic guitar and the steady heartbeat of the bass guitar seeping underneath. "….It's not bad," he said finally.

The music faded into a new song, which picked up with a screaming guitar, a drummer madly flailing on the snares, and humans belting at the tops of their lungs. Roll's eyes lit up. "Well, if you like that one, then you're going to love this!"

Snake Man did like it, but— "I like the first one better."

"What do you mean? This is Nightmare Fuel's hit single of last year."

"It's good, but it sounds a little overproduced. I like the first one better," said Snake Man.

Roll gave him a long look, as though evaluating his tastes. Snake Man didn't care. He didn't know much about music, but he stood by his opinion. Still, it was a good feeling, listening to the music while walking through a peaceful section of the park.

"Not sure why you don't want to meet Mega Man," said Roll. "He's really nice, you know. You might even have things in common."

The mention of Mega Man broke whatever spell the music had put Snake Man under like a sledgehammer, reminding him of who he was and what he was trying to accomplish. Mega Man was Dr. Wily's worse enemy. His too. He still needed to prove to Dr. Wily how much better than Mega Man he was. Snake Man realized how careless and distracted he had let himself become.

_Stay focused..._

"Maybe we could all even be friends," Roll added.

"Never," Snake Man said quickly.

Roll raised an eyebrow at his instant and blunt rejection. She was still watching him with the same level of scrutiny that a detective gave a prime suspect. Secretly, he both hated and liked the attention.

They had reinterred Coaster Canyon. They edged around the line for a Marcy Marsupial character meet and greet, and dodged an android handing out souvenir rings, then got in line for the Stormhawk.

"I can't believe I've been in this park for hours, and still haven't seen Wily," said Roll. "What information do you have on Wily so far?"

"A lot," said Snake Man. "—but I can't share. He's dangerous, and cunning. This plot of his to turn humans could be the tipping point in his struggle for world control.

Roll wasn't convinced. "Yeah _, if_ he's actually turning the humans. I'm starting to think he's just got some other phony half-assed scheme that wasn't thought through very well."

Snake Man was offended. "I don't think you're taking Dr. Wily's threat seriously."

Roll scoffed. "I've known Wily since the beginning… or at least, the beginning of his megalomanic journey. Here's a list of all his failures. He started by invading an airport."

"You have to start somewhere."

"Then he took control of all devices connected to the New York City power grid using a joystick."

"The electric grid takeover mission wasn't bad—"

"You weren't there. It was bad," Roll cut him off. "Next he made an earthquake machine, but still couldn't take over New York City."

"—It still caused a lot of damage—"

"He used 'telepathic mind control chips' to make Mega Man go all crazy in D.C. before getting cornered by the National Guard, made an Ice Age that didn't last day…"

"It lasted long enough to make an impact—"

"His best idea for his 'shrink ray' was to auction off shrunken cities to crooked art collectors instead of issuing demands."

"It was all part of a strategy…" Snake Man said feebly.

"Then he forced Mega Man to switch bodies with one of his _worst_ Robot Masters. Probably one of his best ideas, but he _still_ couldn't pull it off and got chased out of Geneva."

Snake Man went silent.

"Then Cold Steel. Don't get me started on Cold Steel. Next, Wily failed at stealing from Citadel Research and Innovative Technology and the triconium mines in Seattle. He partnered with a creep named Otto Raptor who preferred dinosaurs over humans. He _almost_ took over the Lunar Base, but couldn't got his ass handed to him by R.I.P. He tried invading the U.S. using stone age statues and messed that up so badly _we_ had to rescue him from a volcano. He took over all the prototype student bots at Light University. Then he stole a bunch of naval ships and welded them into a giant superweapon, which self-destructed int the middle of the Pacific. Now we're here, at _Fun World,_ an amusement park chain, stuck figuring out if Dr. Wily is _really_ turning humans into robots, or taking another cheap shortcut towards world domination."

Snake Man was crushed.

"Well, I think what he's up to now is more complex than all of that—"

It wasn't.

"Maybe he wants to take over the world to make it better place," Snake Man started again. "To create order within a new, better world—"

"No, this is just a big ego stunt and the world is better off without Wily."

"I could work for Wily, you know," Snake Man said recklessly. She was getting on his nerves.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I don't believe that."

_"_ _But I do."_

"You know, I trained with the police. I can tell when someone is lying by the way they act."

"You can't tell that just from looking at me. Police officers don't know how to do that."

Roll was looking ahead at the entrance to the Storm Hawk with a self-satisfied smirk.

"I'm his most powerful robot," Snake Man persisted.

"Who, Proto Man? I've met him, believe me, that's the last person I'd pretend to be."

"—Proto Man is _not_ Wily's most powerful robot, Wily's created bigger threats than _him—"_

Roll cut him off. "I don't know what your story is, and I know I'm not going to get it out of you today so I'm not going to try. But I know you're not loyal to Wily."

"Yes I am."

Roll raised an eyebrow at him.

"I could be," he said less confidently.

"You're not. Quit fronting."

It was there turn for the Storm Hawk. Snake Man went silent as they stepped up to the loading pad. He felt a bit annoyed at her, especially with how particularly smug she seemed with herself. She was acting just like Proto Man. He felt like pointing out that she had been tricked by Gemini Man, Top Man, even Cut Man and Guts Man in disguises and he was about to say so, but stopped himself just in time.

* * *

As they boarded the Storm Hawk, Roll looked over her strange companion for the seventh time that day, still not sure where they stood. It was hard to tell, but he didn't seem to like her very much. Roll didn't take it very personally—after all, he seemed like the type of solitary person who wouldn't get close to anyone easily. Under the hoodie, he had the appearance of someone stuck up and vain. This directly contradicted with his personality, which was shy and awkward, almost as if he were wearing a costume of someone else. In some ways, he reminded her a bit of Mega Man, wanting to do right by the rules—but internally conflicted. He also seemed like someone trying to shed their skin and come out of their shell.

There also seemed to be a fair amount of self-loathing. But once she had gotten past that, he was fun to talk to. Shy, but stubborn, determined to the point of obstinance, eager to prove, slightly competitive in nature but not at all belittling. He also liked animals. She smiled a little to herself.

* * *

After retrieving his backpack, Mega Man melded back into the crowd. He searched through the Midway, losing most of his cash to the rigged carnival games, but didn't find any other traces of Wily, not even Ring Man or Magnet Man again. Checking the time, he made a brief call to with Roll, who complained she had been waiting in lines since they had parted but found nothing yet, before deciding he should move on.

He took a path north out of the Midway, then saw a familiar orange windbreaker.

"We keep running into each other," said Mega Man wryly, waving to the human he had seen earlier. He still felt a little guilty for tackling him.

"Funny how that happens," said the human. "So, uh, where're you from?"

"New York."

The man looked at his 'I heart NY' t-shirt then lifted a brow at him. "Oh? I see. I'm from Oklahoma. By the way, I gotta warn tell you…I've been feeling really _stiff_ and _emotionless_ since I got off Timber Falls. I'd avoid any rides on Water Wharf if I were you. I swear, it's like there's something in the water. I'm going to go get a tropical twist ice cream, maybe I'll feel better."

The human walked off toward the Fun Fair. Mega Man watched him for awhile, wondering if he should follow him.

But he and Roll had already investigated everything in Water Wharf and found nothing. If the human really _was_ turning into a robot, it had to be something else in the park causing it. He also still sorely remembered how much time he had wasted following a direction from the human earlier. Learning his lesson, Mega Man decided to take the opposite direction toward the monorail.

The Midway monorail station was on a raised platform, lined with cone-shaped spruce trees. Small clusters of humans stood waiting around for the next train, impatiently checking their watches and looking down the track for next train.

"What are you waiting on the monorail for? That's the most boring ride!" said a voice above him.

Mega Man looked up, and felt his circuits flip. The clown robot was on top of the roof of the station depot, looking down at him. The humans who had been waiting on the monorail took one look up at him, muttered to themselves, then hastily retreated back down the monorail ramp.

"Well, my sister does call me a geek," said Mega Man with feigned chagrin.

"Heh. Aw," said the clown. He lowered himself from the roof's edge by extending his arms, but stopped just a few inches off the ground and began to swing back and forth, giggling to himself.

Mega Man supposed this childlike behavior was meant to be appealing to kids, but still felt a bit unsettled and on guard. He didn't like the idea that the clown may have been following him through the park. He wondered what he could say to get the clown to leave again. Then he remembered how Roll had given the clown advice on how to be even scarier. Mega Man didn't have as many ideas as her, but he could try.

"You know what I find really frightening?" he said. "When things jump out of the dark—especially when you are least expecting them. If you found someplace really dark and hidden, I bet you could really give a good scare."

"Oh?" said the clown. He smiled, displaying his interlocking teeth again. "Great idea, I'll try it!"

The clown let go of the roof, then twisted himself bat-like through the gap of a storm grate.

"Wait," Mega Man called after him. "I have a question. If you were to hide a big production facility, where would you put it? One where you could lure lots of humans?"

The clown robot appeared at the drain hole, peering out of the darkness at Mega Man while tapping a rhythm against the grate with his purple fingers.

"A production facility? In Fun World? One where you could lure a lot of humans? …You're not some creep, are you?"

"No, but I heard rumors of a creep who might be already here," said Mega Man.

The clown robot shrugged. "Okay, because Fun World takes a dim view of that sort of thing…and so do I!" He tilted his head to his side. "You might want to try Thrill Thoroughfare. If there are any creeps here, that's where they'll be!"

The clown vanished into the darkness.

This particular bit of advice wasn't much use to Mega Man as he was already heading to Thrill Thoroughfare, but he shrugged his shoulders, then boarded the next monorail train (which he had all to himself, thanks to the clown). He somehow had to do Ice Mountain, Terror Tracks, Death's Spiral, Dire Dire Drop, the Forbidden Mine, and Fright Island before park closing, but he didn't let that discourage him. With each ride, he had to be getting closer.

* * *

Clown Man did not immediately go off to scare another group of humans. Excited about how his day was gong, he decided to give Shade Man a call using a video communicator he had tucked into the metal plating of his arms.

Shade Man answered nearly instantly. He was very prim in appearance, with royal purple armor inscribed by golden swirls. A pair of long bat wings lay folded on his back like a cloak. Silvery fangs protruded over his lower lip, and he had a long, beak-like nose.

"What is it, my dear Clown Man? I have a shift I must attend to," said Shade Man. He had a deep, soothing yet somber voice, halfway between old fashion funeral dirge and an owl's hoot.

"Guess what—I have been spending all day frightening humans, just like I told you I could!"

"Do not scare the humans. That is not your purpose."

"But I don't get it. I'm a clown. Why can't I be scary? It's only natural! Especially now that I have fierce teeth and a new scary voice technique!" Clown Man said, reinforcing the last part with a deep-pitched double tracking.

Shade Man was not impressed. "True terror does not come from cheap theatrics—" he began superiority.

"Don't talk to me about cheap theatrics!" snapped Clown Man. "Your design is based on Dracula! I can be just as scary as you!"

Shade Man shifted his wings indignantly. "You do not want my job. It is not fun like it may seem to you. Do not talk of things you do not understand."

"What's to understand?" Clown Man said desperately. "I'm a clown. I scare humans just by being me—"

"No."

"But just give me a chance! I really can scare them—"

"No."

"If you could only see what I could do—"

"Clown Man, no. The answer you seek shall never come to pass."

Clown Man was disappointed and frustrated. Unfortunately, he couldn't suppress the sound of the Full Throttle thundering past above him, and jumped guiltily.

Shade Man narrowed his eyes. "Where are you? Are you where you are supposed to be? I hear roller coasters."

"Mind your own business!" Clown Man said brightly, closing the communication. He slunk into a shadow, looking about Thrill Thoroughfare, grinning to himself and twitching his fingers. Shade Man might get on his nerves, but in the end, he still knew things Shade Man didn't—and that counted for something.

* * *

Dr. Wily's master transmitter ceased having the connection issues it had had earlier that day, and now that the production of human robots could go on without hindrance, he was focused on finding Mega Man. He returned to Proto Man in the control room.

"Keep scanning the monitors, Proto! That blue dweeb is in my park somewhere!"

"Don't bust a blood vessel, Doc! I got it covered," said Proto Man, tabbing through the security footage. Top Man had just given him a report of Mega Man's last location. He paused on the interior of the monorail's second car, easily recognizing Mega Man despite his disguise. "Bingo, he's on the monorail." He turned around to face Dr. Wily. "He's almost to Ice Mountain. If he makes it to Fright Island, you're in big trouble!"

Dr. Wily strode over to the control panel beneath the security monitors. He plugged in the joystick device he had brought with him, which was not unlike the one he had used to hijack New York City's electric grid. "Well, he'll never make it because I control all the rides at Fun World, and the _fun_ —Heh heh heh—stops here!"

* * *

Mega Man was settled into the cushioned monorail seat, looking over Thrill Thoroughfare on the park map, when he noticed outside one of the oval windows eight red objects soaring through the air and getting closer—the flying saucers from the Fun Fair's space cruiser ride had detached themselves and were heading his way.

"Aw man…"

* * *

"Whoo hoo! Just like a video game, only real!" crowed Dr. Wily, watching the monorail car from the security footage. He controlled the movements of the space cruisers with the joystick, which he directed to fire upon the monorail car with the lasers he had installed on them. Below, the crowds were looking up at the air battle and clapping, oblivious that this wasn't a show put on by Fun World.

A bright flash of golden plasma ripped a hole through the top of the monorail car. Mega Man leaped on top, still in disguise with his canvas backpack flung over one shoulder, his blue plasma cannon equipped on his left arm. The wind ripped the Yankees baseball cap from his head. Mega Man fired at the space cruisers while Dr. Wily tilted the joystick back and forth to dodge and tapped the red trigger button to shoot lasers, but Mega Man was faster and the space cruisers exploded into dust midair.

"Blast!" cursed Dr. Wily.

"You've only got one space cruiser left, Wily. Better not miss this time," said Proto Man.

The monorail zipped into a tunnel. Dr. Wily followed it with the space cruiser, hammering on the joystick's trigger button. They lost visual for a second. There was a flash of light on each end of the tunnel, then the monorail shot out of the other side, Mega Man on top, with no sign of the space cruiser.

Dr. Wily snarled. "He beat me!"

"What'd'ya expect, Wily? He's got the fastest blaster in the west—" Proto Man made a derisive sound, and added, "Next to _me,_ of course."

"Soo, he thinks he's fast, does he?" said Dr. Wily, switching up the joystick's connection settings. "Well, I'll show him what speed is all about!"

* * *

After destroying the last space cruiser, Mega Man was just scanning the sky, wondering what Dr. Wily was going to throw at him next, when suddenly the monorail beneath him jerked. He lost balance and tumbled backward through the hole he had blasted in the roof, landing hard on the aisle between the seats.

The monorail was picking up speed and began rocking dangerously on its track. Sparks could be seen flashing in front of the front windows.

Mega Man got up and looked outside. Up ahead, he could see that the monorail was coming to a bend. At this speed, it wouldn't be able to make the turn and would skip off the track. The pointed peak of Ice Mountain was coming up on the left. It was his only chance.

Blasting open the emergency exit, Mega Man leaped out of the monorail, landing face first in a heap of artificial snow. A second later, the monorail hit the bend and shot off its track. It soared over Fun World like a wingless plane before crashing into a group of tall trees just outside the park, the rumble of splintering branches and falling trunks like distant thunder. Meanwhile, the next monorail passed overhead at a normal speed, its passengers unaware of the previous monorail's derailment.

Mega Man sat up, wiped the snow out of his hair, and looked around. Ice Mountain's setting took place on a snowy planet. Guests rode in bobsled-like vehicles up a long, steep lift hill into an 'abandoned' expedition station at its summit, before launching down a long slide with steep turns that threaded in and out of tunnels. He stowed his plasma cannon again, resuming the look of a tourist, and began to slowly climb down the mountain. It wasn't easy going, the slopes were slippery and Mega Man didn't want to accidentally fall onto one of the slides.

About halfway down, a fierce looking abominable snowman leaped out from behind a snow bank, roaring like a lion. It had polar bear like claws, snow white fur, and a fanged, ape-like face pulled into a furious snarl.

Mega Man started at the sudden appearance, then checked himself. "It's just a fake monster," he said aloud.

The snowman dropped its arms. "Hey, that's not cool man, don't spoil the illusion for other park guests!" it said crossly. "And how did you get here anyway? You didn't sneak in, did you? That's against Fun World's safety regulations! I'm calling park security right now—"

"No need, I've got park security right here," said a familiar voice.

In the bluish shadows of an ice cavern stood Proto Man next to a Robot Master whom Mega Man assumed was 'park security.'

The snowman relaxed, bid Mega Man to "Have a fun-filled day!", waved at the Robot Master ("Later Hard Man") before departing back down the mountain to its position next to the bobsled slide.

"Nice glasses," said Proto Man. "Going for the Clark Kent look?"

"Roll's idea. How did you know to find me here?"

"A matter of process and elimination," Hard Man said staunchly. "Ice Mountain is the only superstructure located near the monorail."

"We knew you'd need an early exit," said Proto Man with a smirk.

Mega Man smiled back coolly. "Let me guess, you're here to blast a bot without his armor again like the cheat you are?"

"That's not _exactly_ what happened last time," said Proto Man, waving a hand dismissively.

"You used a plasma cannon in a 'no weapons' duel," retorted Mega Man.

Hard Man swiveled his head toward Proto Man, frowning. "Whoa whoa whoa…did you cheat during a battle with this kid?"

"Bad guy," said Proto Man, gesturing to himself. He noticed Hard Man was giving him a look. "…What?"

Hard Man looked away from Proto Man. "I just…I dunno. When I first met you, I thought you were an okay bot, sarcastic but in a funny kind of way, but now I'm not so sure."

"Just forget about it, alright? That's not what we're here for."

"We could make it interesting, you know," said Mega Man. "You change out of your armor into plain clothes, and we'll have a rematch of our no weapons fight…this time without cheating."

"Pass," said Proto Man, drawing a plasma cannon, "—But I'll give you ten seconds to change."

Mega Man went behind a rock sculpture. Hard Man turned to Proto Man.

"I think you should apologize. It's the only way to let water under the bridge."

"You do know that Wily ordered us to jump him with no questions asked, right?" Proto Man reminded him.

"This is different. Climbing around on Ice Mountain is unsafe. What if a human imitated his behavior? There must be a stop to it."

"I have to agree with him. It is unsafe," said Mega Man, reemerging from the rock sculpture in his armor. "I tried to find an emergency exit, but I never saw one."

"Whoa whoa whoa," said Hard Man. "Our emergency exits are clearly marked in accordance with the state of New York."

"Hard Man, you don't work for Fun World anymore, lighten up," said Proto Man.

"I know that, but it's the principle," said Hard Man. Then, without further preamble, he lifted a painted boulder and threw it at Mega Man.

Mega Man fired at the boulder, shattering it into pieces, then fired at Hard Man, but the plasma blasts dissipated on his steel blue armor without leaving a mar.

Hard Man chuckled, his oil-drum frame shaking. "You can't make a dent in me, Mega Man. I'm made of ceratanium, second strongest metal alloy on the market," he said, wrapping against his helmet with his knuckles. "Can't feel a thing."

Ignoring him, Mega Man fired again. Hard Man punched the shot with one of his silvery fists, which rebounded back at Mega Man, knocking him further into the cave. Then Hard Man crouched down low to the floor before springing back up in a great leap. Mega Man scrambled out of way just in time before Hard Man came crashing down upon his spot, rattling the steel supports below and knocking icicles from the ceiling.

Hard Man snatched Mega Man by the ankle and swung him above his head like a sling toy before throwing him against a concrete wall. White sparks flashed in Mega Man's eyes, and before he could recover he felt Hard Man pick him up again.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to kick you outta the park now," said Hard Man. "I'm on Wily's team now and that's what I gotta do. Orders are orders."

Proto Man stepped in at this point, holding up a hand to Hard Man. "I'll take it from here. I got a better handle on how Wily _really_ wants us to deal with Mega Man," he said with a dark smile, drawing a plasma cannon.

At this, Hard Man placed Mega Man gently on his feet, but not before Mega Man reached down to copy Hard Man's weapon, _Hard Knuckle_.

Hard Man stood back as Proto Man and Mega Man began battling. They traded shots as they ducked in and out of the icy cavern, Proto Man's blue plasma gleaming against the plastic ice, Mega Man firing silvery rocket-powered fists the size of cannon balls from his blaster. The sounds of humans on the slides below screaming in delight echoed all around them.

"I've figured out how you've gotten so good…" Proto Man said after a while. "You've been copying off of me!"

Technically, this was true.

"You want to be like your big bro," Proto Man continued. "After all, we were a pretty good team back on Wily's island."

"Yeah, we were," Mega Man agreed. "Too bad I'm a hero and you're a crook."

"So stubborn…"

"Yeah, just like you."

Proto Man fired, hitting Mega Man. He fell backward into the artificial snow. Proto Man leaped down on him and put a plasma cannon underneath his chin. "Not bad, little bro…just one question…" He leaned forward. "Back in California…how did you guess my password?"

Mega Man shrugged. "Maybe you should change your password more often. Common security precautions suggest every thirty days…not thirty _years…_ "

"Shut up."

Mega Man barely had time to react before Proto Man fired. He rolled to the side, knocking Proto Man off him as the blue plasma melted the artificial snow into a foul-smelling black goo. Though he had bested Proto Man twice in a row now, winning battles with him was still not something he could take for granted. It did not help that he was running low ln energy and would still have to deal with Hard Man (who seemed like a smarter version of Guts Man who was impervious to plasma fire). The clock was ticking, his best chance against Dr. Wily was to conserve energy and cut and run.

Dodging another blast from Proto Man, Mega Man fired a _Hard Knuckle_ at Proto Man, which knocked him all the way to the other side of the ice cavern. Then Mega Man made a running slide toward the rock sculpture he had changed behind, grabbed his backpack, and plummeted down one of the bobsled slides. Proto Man got up and followed. They tumbled out into the massive inner chamber of the hollow mountain where several slide paths interwove through each other like a huge tangle of spaghetti. The human riders took notice of the red and blue blurs bouncing off the hoods of their bobsleds and cheered. To Mega Man's annoyance, they seemed equally as supportive of Proto Man as they were to himself. Following the slides downward, Mega Man randomly took several forks in the tunnels and managed to finally lose Proto Man in the icy maze.

After sliding out one of the mountain tunnels, Mega Man found his way to the flagstone walkways of Thrill Thoroughfare. Ducking behind a vendor stand, he took a Fun World souvenir shirt and hat off their wracks while the robo-vendor was looking the other way (he also left exact change on the counter so it wouldn't technically be stealing). Mega Man changed into the new disguise then quickly mixed into the thick human throng of Thrill Thoroughfare, the most popular section of Fun World. He doubted Proto Man would chase him into the crowd—at least, not without his armor.

But now Dr. Wily would know for sure he was here. They were running out of time; either he or Roll better find Dr. Wily's operations quickly or the whole day would be for nothing.

* * *

Snake Man and Roll had just finished the last ride in Coaster Canyon and were deciding what to do next.

"We're really not getting anywhere," said Roll. "Last I heard, Mega Man had seen nothing either. There's only Thrill Thoroughfare left, and then that's it. I hope we're not too late."

Snake Man didn't comment. He personally had been counting down the minutes to park closure.

"You're not…holding out any information on us, are you?" she asked, looking at him carefully.

It was a direct question, but not an accusation.

"No," he said, turning away.

"Why aren't you helping us?"

"I _am_ helping," Snake Man said. It was sort of true at this point.

"Hmm, maybe, but not completely," said Roll. "I think I got on your nerves earlier, and I'm sorry for that. I can see you've got something else going on outside this mission. So what gives?"

"I…" Snake Man hesitated, wondering why everything had become so difficult today, and thinking of the Robot Masters and their refusal to understand him, "…have trouble working with people, that's all." he said finally. It seemed like a complete enough statement not warranting further explanation.

"Do you want to work with them?"

Snake Man had to think long and hard about this.

"Can I tell something I've noticed about you?" Roll asked when he didn't answer.

Snake Man knew he wasn't going to like it, but was too stubborn and proud to admit it, and stayed silent.

"Outside you act one way, but inside you want to act another way—"

 _"_ I know what you're trying to say," Snake Man interrupted, "'You can't judge a book by its cover…' I'm sorry, but you just don't get it."

"That's not what I meant, but you're right, I probably don't get it. But here's something I do understand. Everyone's going to try to tell you who you are and how you should act. No one wanted to let me fight Dr. Wily with my brother Mega Man, yet here I am. You gotta fight back against who they think you are. You have everything you need, you just gotta take charge of your own destiny."

Snake Man didn't comment, but he felt those words stir something inside, mixing up the feelings he was trying so hard to quash…

"—So what's your deal, anyway?" asked Roll. "Did your dad wants you to be a scientist too but you'd really like to be a crime fighter?"

Snake Man let himself smirk at this. "No."

Then, Snake Man with a stab of horror, Snake Man, realized how far he had let his guard down. He was talking to Roll almost like a friend, instead of an enemy.

Worst yet, any moment now, Roll would call Mega Man and would want to head to Thrill Thoroughfare, where she'd eventually find Fright Island. He couldn't just let her go now, Dr. Wily would want him to stop her from meddling…but that wasn't what _he_ wanted to do.

Snake Man paused. Where did that last thought come from? It was… _rebellious_.

When he had had thoughts that contradicted his programming before, he had blamed them on after effects of his experience trading bodies with Mega Man. But…this drone body was no more than a shell, it had no previous A.I. to possibly influence his own, yet these thoughts seemed to have grown _worse._ And if these reoccurring thoughts _hadn't_ come from switching minds, then that meant…they were his own?

 _Don't be stupid. Dr. Wily wouldn't program you this way,_ he thought to himself firmly, but then another thought came up. _Roll is right, Dr. Wily doesn't know what he is doing. He may have based my AI structure off of anything—even Proto Man's._

Now _that_ was a disturbing thought.

What was the point in all of this? All he had been trying to do was prevent Roll from discovering Dr. Wily…except many of the things he had been done today actually _undermined_ Dr. Wily's scheme. _It was a stupid scheme,_ he thought, then, _Don't think that way!_

Snake Man could feel the energy generator in his chest burning in his chest like a furnace, warming up his clothes. It felt like two different persons were warring it out inside for control. One was loyal to Dr. Wily, but he felt this personality trait was becoming less dominant, pushing to back of his mind. He wasn't sure what the new personality was like and if it'd take over. Maybe this would have happened whether he had never swapped bodies with Mega Man. How much would he change? What was he going to do?

Though he felt that perhaps, just maybe, he was mastering whatever feelings he did or did not have for Roll, something worse, something irrevocable, had happened: he was beginning to doubt Dr. Wily.

Snake Man felt off balance, confused, and frustrated, and perhaps that is why he did what he did next.

* * *

"Roll? They're on Fright Island."

He had said it in such a low voice that Roll almost didn't hear him. She turned around to look at the human sharply. "What?"

"It's the only place you haven't checked that's remote enough to hide a human-abduction operation of that scale without regular park visitors noticing…at least, not yet. That's where you'll find Dr. Wily."

Roll let this information sink in. Her spirits began to soar. Of course, it made so much sense! "I knew you were holding out information!" she said, punching him playfully on the shoulder. She looked out across to the elaborately themed rides of Thrill Thoroughfare. "Fright Island. That bozo couldn't be more predictable. We better hurry, we only have a few more hours until the park closes. C'mon, it'll be fun—"

She looked back, but the human was no longer at her side. She spun around, scanning the crowd around her for the back of the gray hoodie.

"Hey, you—!" she called uselessly.

He had never given her a name.

Roll wished he had stuck around, even if he wouldn't admit what was really going on with him. She debated going after him. But something told her that he was telling the truth about Fright Island (though it would have saved a lot of time if he had just _said_ something about his suspicions much earlier).

She lifted her communicator to her mouth. "Mega? Meet me at the southern entrance to Thrill Thoroughfare. I know where Wily is."

* * *

The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky behind them. Mega Man and Roll stood up on a hill by Ice Mountain, overlooking the ocean and a long dock where motorized boats with patinaed dragon figure head and tails were ferrying groups of park visitors to a lone island with a towering castle. The standby line for Fright Island still wrapped through the park.

"Do you think we can just…sneak in?" asked Roll.

"Too risky," said Mega Man. "We'd never make it into a boat without someone noticing we cut, and they'd complain and get us kicked out of the park. And if Dr. Wily is really turning humans into robots here, you can bet the security will be tight. If only I had my marine gear…"

"That'll take too long," said Roll. "Dr. Wily knows we're here by now. We gotta bust him before he moves his operation somewhere else—if he hasn't already."

"Yo geeky."

Mega Man started, feeling a familiar swoop in his stomach, and he and Roll turned toward the clown robot who had snuck up through the hedge behind them.

"Hiya, long time no see…" the clown said to Roll. "Guess what. I scared three tour groups and an entire car full of people on the Ferris wheel!"

 _This is perfect timing,_ thought Mega Man. "Hey…I have an idea. You see that line right there?" he said to the clown, pointing.

"Yeah?"

"That's the line for Fright Island. You won't find a bigger group of people looking to be scared out of their minds by a horror attraction."

"Yeah…I know," said the clown robot, the tails of his Harlequin cap dropping. "You don't have to tell me that Fright Island is the most popular ride (and it's not even the original!)."

"But think how impressed all the humans would be if they found something _much_ creepier in the park without having to wait in line for a knock-off ride," said Roll, catching on to Mega Man's idea. "You should try scaring _them._ "

"…Oh? …Oh!" The clown robot's face spread into a wide grin that went from ear to ear. "Great idea! If I can scare all of those humans waiting in line for Fright Island, they'll _have_ to admit that I'm scary!"

The clown robot jumped into a hedge and disappeared with a rustle of leaves. A few seconds later, the chatter from Fright Island's queue died down, and guests seemed to be turning around to look at something on the other side.

"Eh? What's that?"

"Is that a _clown?_ "

Someone shrieked as one of the clown's hands sprung out of the ground like a strange white and purple flower, and began groping around, while a soft, demonic voice mixed with a boyish giggle rang out.

"Forget this, someone else can have my place, I'm getting out of here!"

The rest of the crowd seemed to agree with the sentiment, and the long queue line began fleeing in small waves. Mega Man and Roll grinned at each other, then headed for the turn styles at the entrance to Fright Island.

Three androids were manning the wooden docks from underneath the shade of a striped canopy. They wore scaly gray uniforms painted in a way as though it were covered in green lichen, like tombstones found in an old graveyard. They had just loaded one of the boats and turned to let the next group in through the turn styles, then paused, blinking at the empty queue.

"Hey, where is everyone going?" complained the boat operator.

"They haven't even ridden yet and they are already scared off," said the ride attendant.

"We're going to get in trouble if no one goes," the queue monitor muttered anxiously to the other androids.

"We'll go," said Mega Man as he and Roll stepped onto the dock.

The queue monitor quickly slipped into character with a curtsy. "Come this way, gentle humans," she said in a cool, gloomy voice. Then she paused, her milky white eyes scanning their hands, and slipped out of character again. "Oh major bummer…you can't go on unless you have a souvenir ring. Sorry, Fun World rules."

Mega Man thought this was odd. He produced the ring from his pocket. "Already got one."

"Oh, what fortuitous news," replied the queue monitor, resuming her gloomy voice. "Please place it upon thy finger. A special event awaits on thy tour of our humble castle."

Roll, who had thrown her's out, was given another ring from the queue monitor's station. Once they had both slipped these onto their fingers, the ride attendant ushered them toward one of the dragon boats, which rocked in the choppy water. "Watch thy step—enjoy—have a frightfully fun time!" he said, bowing.

* * *

A red flashing light from the computer console alerted Dr. Wily that the next boat to Fright Island was not running on schedule. He growled to himself as he stalked toward the computer to see what the matter was. If those driveling Fun World androids weren't doing what he had told them to do, he'd reprogram them into factory drones and work them until their arms fell off.

He switched his monitor's view to a security feed from one of Fright Islands towers and zoomed in on the last boat to leave from the mainland, which only had two passengers.

"Mega Man…I thought you'd show up!" he muttered to himself, picking up the joystick again. "I hope you like surprises, because I've saved a big one just for you!"

* * *

"What's wrong?" asked Roll as the boats took off, the docks falling away behind them. She and Mega Man had the dragon boat to themselves, though the last boat crowded with park guests was not much farther ahead.

"Did you hear a jingling noise back at the docks…like the one that clown robot makes?" said Mega Man, glancing under the benches.

"I think your clown fear is making you a little paranoid," said Roll with a small smirk. "Why would he follow us? He was having too much fun scaring away those humans."

"Actually…he's been kinda following me all day. You know, we never had any proof that he _didn't_ work for Dr. Wily," pointed out Mega Man.

Roll pondered this. They traveled in silence for a few moments, watching Fright Island grow larger.

Mega Man fidgeted and looked down again. "…Something just bumped against the bottom of the boat."

Roll had shifted too. "Okay… _maybe_ that was something."

They felt another bump, then the dragon boat gave a violent pitch, as though it had just ran over an underwater rock, except they were now far away from shore and the water depth was over forty feet.

Then they saw it—purple humps rising out of the ocean like the tops of giant rotating bicycle wheels. With a small splash, a smooth angular head with wide white eyes, horn-like ridges on its brows, and a spiny fin as wide as a sail appeared at the side of their boat. Its long snake-like body reared out of the water, rising as tall as a telephone pole. It roared at them, a thin scarlet tongue flickered between bared, foot-long fangs. Fun World's robotic sea monster (nicknamed Fussie by fans), the guardian of Fright Island, was attacking them.

"Wow! Like, this ride is totally too real!" called a voice from the other boat (Mega Man briefly recognized the woman in the green beret and her companion riding in the other boat).

They were so distracted by the head that they didn't notice its tail rise up on the other side of the boat until it was too late. It lashed down on them, and the boat splintered like a fruit crate, Mega Man and Roll leaping in opposite directions. The other boat let out a great cheer, some of the humans were snapping pictures.

"They're on to us!" spluttered Roll.

"Dive!" said Mega Man.

They both kicked downward. Below, the ocean floor was hard and craggy and dotted with short tufts of seaweed wriggling in the tide. They could now see the sea monster in its entirety—its purple coils were as thick as a tree trunk and could easily wrap itself around a school bus six times. It roared again, snapping its fangs at Roll while slamming Mega Man with one of its fins.

Roll fired her grappling hook at its head, which sunk into the soft metal plating of the sea monster's cheeks. Mega Man swam over to Roll and grabbed her wrist, and together they pulled hard on the line. The sea monster fought hard against them like a hooked fish as they dragged it down between a narrow cleft in the ocean floor—too narrow for the sea monster to fit—it crashed into the rock, its plating buckling as its long body bunching it behind it, there was a muffled _booom,_ then it stopped moving.

* * *

From the tower camera's security feed, Dr. Wily watched as the purple head of the sea monster popped out of the water like a cork. "Yeeesss! The sea monster, and no Mega Man! I'm finally rid of that annoying blue pest once and for all!" he laughed viciously.

* * *

Using the sea monster's body as cover, Roll and Mega Man swam cautiously up to Fright Island's shore.

The sides of the island rose steeply into the walls of a gray crenelated parapet. Fright Island was built to look as though it were a stone fortress from the middle ages sitting on top of a volcanic rock, the shingles rotting on each of its towers and some of the walls cracked and crumbing, though in reality the whole thing was made of painted concrete and only about a year old. A large facade of another giant dragon marked the entrance, a stone staircase nestled in its yawning mouth.

As they took off the sea monster's head, they began to hear a high pitched hum, so soft that they knew it must have been coming from nearby in order to hear it all above the waves lapping against the jagged shore of sculpted concrete. Mega Man noticed an odd purple glow coming from his right hand and looked down at the souvenir ring.

"Look," he said, taking the ring off and showing it to Roll.

The ring's plastic stone had begun to emit a light pulsing glow, like a flickering light on a computer terminal. Mega Man held the ring out toward Fright Island. It began to grow brighter. "Let's see where it takes us."

Avoiding the entrance (which would obviously be watched) they crawled into a drainage pipe. Once inside, Mega Man and Roll changed into their armor and titanium jumpsuit respectively. They stuffed their soaked disguises into Mega Man's backpack, but kept out the souvenir rings as they waded through the tunnel that ran underneath the ride.

Once Mega Man and Roll had gone a good distance underneath the castle, the pipe branched off, and they were able to find a drain large enough to climb out of and into a sort of crawlspace beneath the ride where trap doors and spring-loaded animatronics were located. From there, they pushed open a removable floor panel, and very carefully crept into the ride.

Between the mechanics of the ride moving around, the sound effects, and the guests screaming, the interior of Fright Island was very loud. It was also dark and stuffy, lit only by gas-fueled fire sconces in the walls, which cast large, flickering shadows. The park guests had boarded little red ride vehicles that ran on a track. Staying well in the shadows, Mega Man and Roll followed the track as it wound through elaborately decorated rooms: a decayed feast covered in synthetic cobwebs, a magician's tower filled with disturbing spells, a medieval torture chamber, crypts echoing with wailing disembodied voices, and bloodstained dungeons, while ghostly holograms and robots disguised as ghouls or suits of armor jumped out at the humans.

No two rides through Fright Island were ever the same. Between scaring the humans, the robots regularly retreated into hiding places to watch the monitors of incoming ride vehicles, carefully adjusting their patterns to match the fear threshold of each guest and whispering suggestions to one another.

"—Go easy on the guy in car thirty-nine, I sprung out of the iron maiden at him and he is still whimpering—"

"Someone in car eighty-three just yawned, do that thing where your eyes fall out of your head when it goes by—"

"—I think I cracked a transistor when I crawled out of the chandelier, can you cover for me while I get a new one from storage?"

Roll began having doubts. The ride appeared to be operating as normal. Perhaps the glowing rings really _were_ just a special effect after all. What if the stranger had lied to her about coming here? It was a good thing she hadn't _really_ started to trust him, but how could she have let him just slink away when he may have known something important—

But then the track came to a room that (though creepy) didn't fit in with the theming of the rest of Fright Island. The room was styled like a mad scientist's laboratory packed with science equipment and lit with yellowish light. Hanging on the ceiling like a disco ball was an orb. As each car drove under it, the orb shot it with a flash of energy that looked like purple lightning. The humans screamed at this as they did during all of Fright Island's special effects, but as the purple lighting died down, a vacant expression overtook the humans' faces and their screams faded away, almost as if they forgot why they were screaming.

"You are now robots," said an overhead loudspeaker in Dr. Wily's voice. "You are allll under Dr. Wily's command!"

"I am a robot under Dr. Wily's command…" the humans murmured back as their car passed on.

"Please exit your cars and enter the transformation chamber," instructed another loudspeaker further down the track.

One by one, the humans filed out of the ride vehicles onto a conveyer belt, which carried them away from both the ride track and the ride exit and into another corridor (Mega Man and Roll shadowed the procession closely, hiding behind the wooden crates stacked by the walls). Little robotic arms began appearing from the wall like giant spider legs. After scanning for measurements, they fit plates of green armor to the humans like a sort of bizarre assembly line. At the end, each human was given a utility belt and an electro-neutralizer pistol.

"This has _got_ to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen," Mega Man said flatly as they watched the completed 'human robots' march off into another room.

"So…he's just hypnotizing them to think they are robots? …Again?" chimed in Roll. "I knew it!"

Mega Man took off his glowing souvenir ring and pinched its pea-shaped gem between his fingers. It snapped off, revealing a microchip the size of a snowflake underneath.

He raised his brows at Roll. "Some 'special effect!' This looks like one of those telepathic mind control chips Dr. Wily planted on me—only these ones work on humans."

"Ugh! It's basically just Cold Steel all over again, only with microchips instead of metal music and that same electronic take over thing he did last year in New York City! He's just rehashing his own plots!"

"I guess practice makes perfect. On the bright side, this will be easier to fix than figuring out how to reverse the effects of a real human-to-robot transformation," pointed out Mega Man. "With Cold Steel, all we had to do was destroy his broadcasting tower. There should be something similar here."

* * *

Another light flashed on Dr. Wily's computer console, this one purple. "Hmm, I'm picking up an ultra-sonic parse! Someone isn't wearing their ring!" he growled. This happened from time to time and was quickly dealt with by the other human robots.

Dr. Wily scanned the for the signal's location within Fright Island, and instantly honed in on Mega Man and Roll on security footage from the 'transformation chamber.'

"Soooo, the blue dweeb escaped?" He switched on Fright Island's intercom to make an announcement. "Attention all robots! Mega Man is among you! Find him, and destroy him!"

* * *

Mega Man and Roll started at the sudden order, which had interrupted the repeating broadcast of instructions for the newly brainwashed humans.

The completed green soldiers fanned silently across the transformation chamber, electro-neutralizer pistol's cocked. Roll and Mega Man ducked and carefully edged around the crates as the patrol passed before darting into the next room.

They had entered a mock courtyard in the middle of the island. The small outdoor space was normally hidden from the park visitors' view, therefore it did not have the same theming as the rest of the castle and was rather dull. A tall, heavily armored machine sat in the center of the room, a long forked antennae rising toward the sky like a giant trident.

"That must be the brainwave transmitter," whispered Mega Man. "If we shut it down, the rings will deactivate. That will break the hypnotic trance."

"There's Mega Man, destroy him!" a human voice called out in a flat monotone. Purple laser fire suddenly exploded over their shoulders as a small band of green soldiers cornered them.

Roll fired a soccer goal net at them, which tangled up on the laser pistols and knocked the group green soldiers off their feet. Then she and Mega Man crouched down and carefully slipped the micro-receiver rings off their index fingers before removing the netting. The humans blinked rapidly, as though waking up from a dream.

"What's going on? …Why are we dressed like robots?" asked one, looking from himself to the woman next to him.

"We'll explain later, just stay out of sight!" said Roll, nudging them toward the crates that she and Mega Man had been using for cover.

Behind them, more voices were chanting 'Get Mega Man.' They swarmed on Roll and Mega Man, firing rapidly as they advanced. Their aim was terrible. Roll disarmed the first human to reach her, taking the soldier's pistol for herself, then began firing electro-neutralizer pulses back at the humans, knocking them unconscious. They fell over like timber. While Mega Man didn't approve of Roll's methods, he had to admit this was a very effective crowd control technique, and the armor Dr. Wily had provided them should protect them from any scrapes or bruises they'd normally receive from falling face first on a concrete floor.

While the soldiers were distracted with Roll, Mega Man made a running jump, leaping over their heads and into the center of the courtyard. As he reached for a lever on the brainwave transmitter, a _Rolling Cutter_ suddenly sliced by, neatly snipping off the lever's handle at its base.

"I'm going to cut you down to size, Mega Man!" called Cut Man from the opposite corner of the courtyard.

"You got guts coming here, Mega twerp! But I got more guts!" roared Guts Man at his side.

Roll elbowed her way through the remaining green soldiers and rushed toward Cut Man and Guts Man. "Shut down the transmitter! I'll take care of these two!"

For a second, Mega Man watched as Roll tore after Cut Man and Guts Man with a circular saw, then he turned toward the brainwave transmitter. He shot a _Hard Knuckle_ , splitting open its brass colored armor. The inner circuitry began sparking as the long antenna folded in on itself like a broken toothpick.

The purple glow from the Fun World souvenir rings flickered, then died. The humans blinked, then began muttering to one another, looking down at their armor and the laser pistols in their hands with perplexity. The humans on the ground began waking up, groggy but aware of their surroundings. The last thing anyone seemed to remember was riding Fright Island.

"Everyone!" Mega Man bellowed. "Take off your rings!"

* * *

From the control room, Dr. Wily watched from the monitors as the confused humans slipped off their souvenir rings and discarded them to the floor with tiny _clinks_.

"Noo, nooo, nooooo!" he wailed. "Mega Man ruined everything, again!"

* * *

The armored humans poured out of the dragon head of Fright Island in a steady stream toward into the boats on the shore. Mega Man and Roll followed them. There was no point in staying, Fright Island was filling with smoke and Dr. Wily, Cut Man, and Guts Man had fled toward the Skullker.

They boarded a boat with the park manager, who had been the first victim of Dr. Wily's second brainwashing scheme, then took off for the mainland. The park manager had waxed hair and a handlebar mustache. He shed his green armor into the bottom of the boat, revealing a tangerine pinstripe suit with a golden Marcy Marsupial pin.

"Well, looks like we just sunk another one of Wily's evil schemes," said Roll triumphantly as they looked back on Fright Island.

"And we owe all the thanks to you, Mega Man," said the park manager. "I will have to make sure you receive year passes to the park!"

"No thanks," said Mega Man, thinking he had enough of Fun World for a while.

"How did you get here in time?" asked the manager curiously. "Fright Island is our most popular attraction. Guests wait for hours just to ride it!"

"It was easy…but we needed a little help from the clown robot who works Kiddy Carnival," said Mega Man.

"Yeah, next time you see him, tell him he really saved the day," said Roll.

The park manager gave them a puzzled look. "Clown robot? What clown robot? There are no clown robots in Fun World."

Mega Man felt his stomach swoop. "Um…are you sure?"

"Positive. Too scary, guests wouldn't like it! Good idea for a new horror attraction though," he mused, pulling on his mustache. "Kiddy Carnival was never that popular, after all…"

Roll and Mega Man looked at each other.

"Wait…if there are no clown robots in Fun World, then we were talking to some random clown pretending to work here…" Mega Man said to her quietly.

Roll's eyes lit up. "Wow…now _that's_ creepy," she said. "I should have given him more credit."

"But then he really _was_ a Wily bot all along."

"I don't think so," Roll persisted.

"I guess we can't know for sure," said Mega Man fairly. After all, the clown had been helpful. "But if he doesn't work for Wily or Fun World, then who does he work for?"

* * *

When Proto Man had lost Mega Man at Ice Mountain, he had remained behind to search for him, hoping to finish the fight, and ended up wasting a lot of time as he refused to enter the crowd in disguise. In the end, he gave it up and instead rounded up the Robot Masters scattered about Fun World.

He ordered Hard Man to return to the Skullker (who despite their ideological differences was proving to be a very competent Robot Master), then found Ring Man and Magnet Man, who were goofing off behind the Midway with a bunch of robo-attendants (who were not watching their stations). Top Man, eager to please, answered his order to return to Skull Fortress immediately.

Proto Man would have returned to Fright Island much faster if Dr. Wily had warned him sooner that Mega Man had breached its defenses. By the time Proto Man returned, the brain transmitter lay in smoldering heaps, and the former 'human robots' had evacuated with Mega Man.

He returned to Fright Island's control room to save what he could and destroy the rest of Dr. Wily's technology before the police could get it. But Proto Man paused, drawing a plasma cannon. Someone else was already in the room, and it wasn't Dr. Wily or any of the other Bad-bots.

Hanging upside down from one of the support beams was a brightly colored clown. He was etching a crooked crescent shape into the wall with his finger, the remnants of Dr. Wily's equipment and the security monitors littering the floor beneath him.

"…The hell?" said Proto Man.

The clown looked over at him, gave a silver grin of metal teeth that interlocked like the grooves in a cogwheel, fell clumsily to the floor in a jingle of metal plates, then stood up. "Hi! I'm Clown Man," he introduced himself, bouncing up and down on his heels while twirling his arms and legs in a goofy yet showmanship manner. "I have been looking _all over_ for you. Luckily you came to an amusement park, the one place I'd have no problem blending in!"

As he said this, one of Clown Man's eyes twirled in its socket with a clocklike whirl.

"Wait…are you one of the Syndicate's goons?"

Clown Man's smile faded a little. "I'm not a goon…I'm a clown."

Proto Man didn't have any patience for robot mobs right now. "Yeah yeah, get to the threat before I blast you."

Clown Man held up his hands. "No threats, promise. I've never threatened a fly. I mean—I _scare_ people, I'm a _clown_ , of course I scare people. I scared a _lot_ of people today," he gave a giggle, "—But I don't _threaten_ them. It's not in my programming. And I'm not technically _in_ the Syndicate either. The other bots won't let me. They say I'm not _scary_ enough. Which is insane, I'm a clown! I'm scarier than the rest of them put together!" he burst out. Then he paused, regaining his composure. "I'm more of a personal assistant to Centum…like an emissary. I know things even the other bots don't! Which brings me to the point of my visit…have you put much thought into Centum's offer?"

"What offer?"

Clown Man stopped bouncing and gave a light giggle. "You know…" He said, rolling his eyes coyly at the ceiling.

"Centum didn't offer me anything. Actually, he was kind of a dick and I thought we ended our last chat in a good place."

Clown Man's smile faded a little bit. "I don't know all the details, Centum is secretive. But _you_ know what's going on…right?"

"Not really…can't say I care either."

"Oh? Are you sure? Why don't you come back with me and find out? I know the way."

"Um…no thanks? If you're not here to fight, then hit the road. Wily's going to be looking for me, and if he see's you he's going to want you for his army, and no offense but Skull Fortress has enough clowns without recruiting a literal one."

Clown Man gave him a long look, twisting his head to his side. "I got to meet Mega Man," he said. "I figured if I followed him around long enough, I'd eventually find you. He's real sweet, but kinda gullible—"

Proto Man's circuits turned to ice. Without even thinking, he fired at Clown Man.

Clown Man's face widened in shock. He twisted like a colorful wind spiral midair, avoiding the shining blast of blue plasma that smashed through the concrete behind him. Proto Man noticed in that brief instant that Clown Man's hands had sparked with electricity, and the back of Proto Man's neck prickled, wondering if Clown Man's weapon hurt just as much as a _Thunder Beam—_ but Clown Man withdrew completely out of line-of-sight around the corner into the next room. He looked back at Proto Man through the reflection of a polished shield.

"Geese, don't shoot the messenger!" he called back crossly. "You're a real jerk, you know that, Proto Man?" He stuck his tongue out.

"Mega Man is mine. No other robot, clown or gangster, gets to destroy him first. Back off while you still can."

"You're being very dramatic right now and I hope we never talk ever again! Like I said, Centum sent me here just to _talk_ , not fight. It'll be his other bots next time. They may not be as scary as me…but they are a lot meaner. Watch your back."

"If this isn't the last time we talk, you can count on it being the last time you function."

_"_ _Dream on!"_

With a light jingling of metal, Clown Man departed, his reflection disappearing from the shield.

Proto Man wondered if he should have let him go. Syndicate or not, Clown Man seemed very naive. It would seem as wrong attacking him as it would a human child. On the other hand, Clown Man worked for Centum…who seemed determined to talk to Proto Man, and only Proto Man, not Dr. Wily. And until this happened, he would be sending more robots after him.

But so what if he did? Proto Man would get to fight them, and that would be fun.

Smirking, Proto Man turned to find Dr. Wily so they could leave Fun World. Today was kind of a waste anyway, time for Dr. Wily to create something more serious.

* * *

Shortly after confessing the location of Dr. Wily's 'human robot' production line to Roll, Snake Man had returned to Skull Fortress, switched back to his body, deposited the spare drone body back in the recycle pile, and incinerated the animatronic mask. The _Search Snake_ that had been looking out after his body returned to him, and he went back to the armory and found a place to sit quietly by himself and contemplate what he had done.

 _I'm a snake Robot Master, and I'm loyal to Dr. Wily, not…whatever just happened,_ he kept reminding himself. He should have stayed in his place. What he had done was inexcusable. Now that he was in his own body in his own home, he vowed never to be treacherous again.

It was not a surprise when, some hours later, the Skullker returned to Skull Fortress. Snake Man kept a low profile as Dr. Wily stormed into his lab while tearing up the plans to the brainwave transmitter.

"Hey Snake Man."

Snake Man froze. Proto Man had entered the armory. He must have found out what Snake Man had done—he would certainly try to kill him for his treachery, he'd have to fight for it—

"You haven't been answering your communicator while we were away at Fun World," said Proto Man softly. "Quit slacking off, or I'm telling Wily, okay?"

It took Snake Man a moment to comprehend. Then he realized he was being let off the hook, Proto Man had suspected nothing. He didn't even seem mad. But Snake Man wasn't one to slack off, and he felt an instant rise at what Proto Man had said. He blurted out before he could stop it, "Ssstop acting ssso sssuperior. You know Dr. Wily'sss chansssesss with sssuch an insssignifcant misssion were unlikely."

Proto Man gave him a funny look. Then he said slowly and deliberately, "You may be Wily's first Robot Master, but I don't have time for attitude. That's _my_ job. Just do what you're told, 'kay?"

Proto Man stalked out of the armory. Snake Man glared after him.

Then he realized something strange had happened. Proto Man had understood him perfectly, despite his hiss. Maybe Roll really was right about things after all.

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

Dr. Wily builds a device that to transport robots into the dream world, where everyone's grandest fantasies and deepest nightmares materialize...but not even a nightmare can match what the waking world has in store as Proto Man learns what Centum wants from him _..._ tune in next time for _Mega Dreams!_


	11. Mega Dreams, Part 1

****

**Episode 17: Mega Dreams**

Proto Man lay awake in the reclined pilot seat of a jet after an evening of flying through the canyons around Skull Fortress. He stared up into the black November night, thinking about Mega Man and how far he had come as the Blue Bomber.

As his rival, being so closely matched in skill was exciting. The better Mega Man got, the harder Proto Man would have to train to keep ahead of him, and the more intense their battles would become. Mega Man had truly come into his own.

As his brother, part of Proto Man was annoyed. Mega Man hadn't become a good fighter for himself, he had become one to take him down and turn him in. Mega Man refused to understand Proto Man's viewpoint and would never forgive him for betraying Dr. Light. It was a rift that would always prevent them from ever truly getting along. He didn't have hope that Roll thought differently of him, if anything she seemed to hate him worse.

Still, Proto Man couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if Mega Man were here on his side, if they could train together. He felt a hollow, lonely sort of feeling in his chest as he thought about these things, a feeling that gnawed at him and made it difficult to sleep.

* * *

Later, Proto Man walked down to the armory. Elec Man was no longer in Dr. Wily's laboratory, which meant that Dr. Wily had finished his repairs. Proto Man hesitated outside Elec Man's office for a second before knocking on the door.

"Come in."

Elec Man was sitting at his computer, his eyes darting back and forth across lines of green code scrolling across its screen.

"Hey, Wily wants you for the next mission," said Proto Man, closing the door behind him.

"Already?"

"It's been weeks since the Warship Hunter blew up. We've even done another mission. Wanna know what you missed?"

"No."

"Took Wily long enough to finish your repairs. You were in pretty bad shape though…did he do an okay job getting you back to normal?"

"The repairs are adequate," Elec Man said neutrally. This was high praise coming from him.

"What are you up to?"

"Updating Skull Fortress's security protocols."

Proto Man noticed a small handheld computer plugged into the back of the terminal.

"Upgrade?" he asked, pointing at the device.

"It's more practical on the field than a laptop," answered Elec Man.

"Right." Proto Man paused, looking around Elec Man's 'office.' "So, uh, this room you picked out is kinda small. If you want your own space, you ought to move into the second floor quarters in the back wing of Skull Fortress. Wily won't care, and you'd still be pretty close to the armory."

Elec Man glanced over the computer monitor, narrowing his eyes. "You mean the rooms above the western hangar?"

"Well, uh, yeah—it was supposed to be a control room for the second airfield, but neither are used very much. It's spacious and quiet, has lots of supercomputers, and the main room has a big row of windows with a nice view of the badlands."

But Elec Man had already gone back to his work. "I don't care about any of that. I'm fine here."

"Really? This room sucks. It's cramped and there are no windows."

"That's not the point. I don't _want_ to like it here."

"...Suit yourself. You may not have control over your actions, but you do have control over how you feel about them. You've been with us for a year and a half now, and your attitude toward Wily has not changed a bit. At this point, I have nothing but respect for that. I know you got a grudge about being stolen and reprogrammed…but robot gangs steal robots from rivals all the time, its just part of being the bad guys. Besides, you can still hate Wily just as much from a bigger, better room as you can in this broom closet."

Elec Man didn't respond. "You have something for me?" he said, changing the subject.

Proto Man did. "About your design flaw, you know…back on the Warship Hunter when Mega Man blasted you with a firehose and you almost got captured by R.I.P…" he began awkwardly.

"We don't need to go over that again."

"No, we don't…" Proto Man carefully laid down a small case on the desk. On a bed of fitted foam sat a pair of circuits the size of cufflinks. "These are for you."

Elec Man didn't even look up. "I told you Wily couldn't fix it."

"No, you're right. His focus isn't in androids, he thinks they're boring." Proto Man hesitated. "I built them."

Elec Man stopped working, his eyes focusing on Proto Man's face. He arched a brow.

"Technically the patents belong to Tom Light…they're based on a component of the bomber weapon—" Proto Man added quickly, as though covering for an embarrassing admission, "—With a few tweaks to be compatible with your systems. They can't stop your _Thunder Beam_ from backfiring during water damage, but they're powerful enough to re-route it through your armor instead of your inner circuitry. It will still short circuit ninety-five percent of your weapon energy and may smart a lot, so don't go swimming or anything. Best I can do, but at least you won't be stuck on an operating table for a month next time."

Elec Man was silent, his face still and unreadable as he stared piercingly at Proto Man.

Proto Man felt torn and extremely self-conscious, as though a spotlight had been turned on him. He really wanted to convince Elec Man to install the circuits that he believed could save his life in the likelihood water was dumped on him in battle, but he also wanted to move away from the subject of who had built them as fast as possible, which seemed to have settled into the room like a solid, tangible thing as soon as he had brought it up.

Elec Man looked down at the circuits, releasing Proto Man from his stare.

"This is a good design," he said finally. "I didn't think you liked spending your processor time on inventions." He looked up at Proto Man with a small smile. It would have looked friendly to someone who didn't know Elec Man very well. "Not bad…Light."

The word hit Proto Man like an icy bullet, sending a shiver down his cybernetic spine. The skin on the back of his neck seem to crawl, and his fists clenched.

"Let's can the nicknames."

"It's not really a nickname," Elec Man said dryly.

Proto Man fell into a thorny silence. To forbid Elec Man from calling him that would only prove that it caused a rise. On the other hand, Elec Man had already known it would cause a rise before he said it, and giving any pretenses otherwise would be pointless.

"Can you be a little cooler about this?" Proto Man asked finally.

There was a small glint in Elec Man's eye as though he had won something. "Fine, though I'll never understand why you want to hide that you were built by an internationally acclaimed scientist."

"What, wanna hear my sob story or something?"

"You don't have a sob story, and no."

Looking smug, Elec Man took the circuits from Proto Man's side of the desk and placed them on the right side of his keyboard as he resumed working through lines of code. Proto Man glared at him for a moment, then relaxed, and leaned against the wall.

"By the way, I ran into one of your Syndicate pals during Wily's last scheme, some sort of clown robot."

"A clown?" Elec Man repeated dubiously.

"Yeah, I know. The weird thing is, I don't know what he wanted. He said Centum had some sort of offer for me. Do you know what that's about?"

Proto Man doubted Elec Man would have an answer. Elec Man's memory banks were scrambled, he barely even recognized Centum's name, who was his own creator.

But despite all of this, there was a brief pause in Elec Man's typing.

"What? Remember something?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

Elec Man gave him a flat look. "Oh please. You aren't this dumb."

"…What?"

Elec Man gave a small sigh. "Centum wants to recruit you."

"He wants to _recruit_ me?"

"It's like you said, 'robot gangs steal robots from rivals all the time.' You're the most wanted criminal robot in the U.S., possibly the world. You have a reputation for being unbeatable, and your thrill-seeking stunts attract a lot of attention whether you mean to or not."

Proto Man had honestly never thought about this, but now that Elec Man had pointed it out, it seemed obvious. "…Huh."

"Do you want to join the Syndicate?" asked Elec Man.

"Hell no."

"I didn't think so, but they won't take no for an answer. Have you ever wondered why Wily never wants to deal with the Syndicate? It's not just because he's afraid of _them_ , he's afraid of losing _you._ "

"He shouldn't be. I'm not going anywhere. Centum's in for a big surprise, I can't be reprogrammed."

"You mean you can't be reprogrammed by Wily's little toys. You think your human-like programming protects you. But robots can be reprogrammed, and humans can be brainwashed, Wily has proven that. It's only a matter of time before someone _smarter_ than Wily figures out how do one or the other to you."

"Won't happen, I'm an advanced android, state of the art."

"I was considered state of the art once, and look where I am now."

Proto Man found this statement a little unnerving. He recalled that Centum had built Top Man, his own advanced android. Elec Man might be on to something. "But why is he so secretive? Why not just ask if I want to join up outright?"

"He probably doesn't want everyone to know. Crime lords are not friends, even within the Syndicate. Perhaps he wants to keep you a secret weapon that he may use against the other bosses."

"You sure about that?"

"I have no memory, I'm just speculating. But unless there is some vital information I do not know, it seems likely Centum is trying to recruit you."

"Any tips for getting him off my case?"

"Go home and leave crime to the real criminals."

"Yeah, _right."_ Proto Man headed back to the door of the office. "By the way, We're leaving tonight, meet in the lab in an hour."

* * *

As Proto Man left Elec Man's office, he ran into Top Man.

"Hey…weird seeing you in the armory," said Top Man. "Did you go see Elec Man? He kinda keeps to himself…he's kinda mean too."

"Yeah, I'd keep my distance if I were you," said Proto Man as he walked off, cutting off any chance at further conversation.

Shit. Elec Man didn't know about Top Man yet. He figured he should probably tell him soon—but it'd have to wait. Dr. Wily was ready to start his next scheme for World Domination.

* * *

It was just past one o'clock in the morning, the beginning of Proto Man's favorite time of night. The city was lit with the soft glow of streetlights. Most of the humans were in bed, so there were few cars out and even less pedestrians on streets that did not have restaurants or bars.

He was driving an oversized cargo van with a wide boxy back that overhung the rear wheels. A mini laboratory was crammed inside, the walls lined with lavender computer equipment. It barely fit within one of the city lanes, and rocked like a boat when taking tight turns. Dr. Wily sat in the passenger seat next to Proto Man, muttering about his plan, Elec Man and Cut Man sat in the row behind them, and Guts Man and Bomb Man stood in the back with the equipment.

The first real bite of winter was setting into New York City. They were traveling into an upscale residential district of designer homes with small gated yards, marble fountains (emptied for the season), and well-groomed gardens created by professional landscapers. Tall trees that provided a pleasant shade in the summer were now bare.

Mayor Hill's modern Federal-style mansion was the largest property on the block. It had smooth walls of evenly cut white stone peppered with an occasional slate-gray brick. A large, arched clerestory window spanned over the entrance. The mansion was completely symmetrical, with a rectangular transom above its double entry doors, two chimneys, a pair of dormer windows, twin wings branching out on either side, and landscaping that mirrored itself. Its shuttered windows were dark, while a bright floodlight shown over the driveway.

"Gee, white picket fence and everything," said Proto Man as he pulled up to the curb. "Ever live in a house like that?"

"No, it's very tacky," said Dr. Wily in an impatient way. "Get ready to begin the dream transmission."

"You got it, Doc."

Proto Man put the van in park, then walked to the back where Dr. Wily's dream transmitter was tethered to the floor. It was the size of a household furnace and painted in bold, clashing colors. Sticking out like points of a compass on each side was a yellow arm somewhat like an electrode. A bundle of cables rose from its center into the ceiling, which connected to a small parabolic antennae outside.

As Proto Man began hooking the dream transmitter into the generator, Dr. Wily pulled Elec Man and Bomb Man aside. "You two keep a sharp scan out for Mega Man," he hissed at them. "That blue pest shows up at the worst times."

Elec Man nodded. He keyed a command on the numeric keyboard of his handheld computer, then unfolded its small antennae. The postcard-sized monochrome monitor showed a map of New York City's streets. Dr. Wily realized he was scanning various security grids to track license plates, and thought this was rather clever, but wouldn't admit it out loud as he never liked it when someone thought of something before he did. After a moment a red rectangle began flashing on the map, proportionally the size of a car.

After turning on the generator, Proto Man stepped back from the dream transmitter, and noticed Bomb Man and Elec Man had opened the back doors of the van and were heading out into the night. Elec Man shot him a pointed look before shutting the door with a quiet snap. Proto Man hesitated, realizing what Dr. Wily had just ordered them to do, but let it go for now. Leaving Dr. Wily completely unguarded while he experimented with mad science in order to chase after Mega Man wouldn't be smart.

"The dream machine is all powered up, Doc," Proto Man said, turning to Dr. Wily.

"Exxxcellent! Cut Man, Guts Man, take your places! We're going to give the mayor some dreams he will never forget!"

Cut Man and Guts Man stepped timidly up to the mats before one of the dream transmitter's arms, as though they might really be electrodes that would shock them at any moment. Guts Man cast Dr. Wily an earnest look. "You're really sending us into the Mayor's dreams?"

Guts Man was nervous. Though Dr. Wily had explained the dream machine to him several times, neither he nor Cut Man understood exactly what a human's dream really was. Proto Man's explanation of 'it's like a movie that projects behind a human's eyelids after they go to sleep' made no sense to them. They worried about getting stuck in the Mayor's head or disintegrating on the spot.

"Yes, really! Didn't I tell you this was the greatest invention of all time?!" snapped Dr. Wily, tapping at the keyboard of the van's computer console. "Just do as I told you, and the mayor will be my little puppet!"

Dr. Wily pressed a small button. The dream machine's arms began to glow like the centers of plasma globes sold in human novelty shops, then a thin fork of violet energy snaked out at Cut Man and Guts Man. The light enveloped them, devouring and transforming them into a similar energy, before flitting back into the arms and leaving no trace of Cut Man and Guts Man at all.

Proto Man shifted in surprise. He glanced at Dr. Wily, who was grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

Mayor Hill was sleeping soundly after a late night in his office, his bare feet sticking out the end of a quilted comforter as frost crept up the panes of his window.

Outside, a purple flicker of energy zig-zagged playfully through the air like a wayward moth, before zipping through the window glass, around the bedside lamp, and into Mayor Hill's temple, where it disappeared.

Mayor Hill rolled over, his brow furrowing as he muttered in his sleep.

* * *

When the dream machine had first turned on, Cut Man and Guts Man had felt a funny tickling sensation as their circuits dissolved into energy. Then they felt as though they were floating away, like the weightlessness of space. Their vision had turned temporarily white, but gradually the world was coming back to them—or, _a world_. They looked around, blinking as though in bright sunlight.

The sky was a deep rose color, and tinted everything with a rose-colored glow. When they looked into the horizons, everything seemed to blur into a mist, like the background of an out of focus piece of film. A pleasant spring-like breeze swirled around them, reminding them of faraway times that lay at the edge of their memory—like the split seconds before Dr. Wily had reprogrammed them.

Ahead, they saw hundreds of houses arranged in a suburb, which seemed set in the distance—that was, until they walked nearer and realized the houses were actually close, yet very small, like rows of doll houses. The whole suburb was like the contents of several toy boxes laid meticulously out at their feet. Pointed, old-fashioned cars with headlights that stuck out like insect eyes glided through the streets. Guts Man reached for one, but it vanished between his fingers like a small puff of smoke.

Then he and Cut Man caught sight of each other, jumped, and began laughing.

To Guts Man, Cut Man looked like a human woman wearing a mauve sack dress, wrist length gloves, pearls, and a felt hat on top of brassy curls. To Cut Man, Guts Man was another human of a similar age, and wore knee long madras shorts, knee long argyle socks, penny loafers, and a contrasting fabric belt. These fashion statements hadn't been popular for quite some time, therefore Cut Man and Guts Man had never seen humans dressed like this.

They would have been alarmed if Dr. Wily hadn't explained to them it was a projected appearance, like a hologram. It helped that they couldn't see the projected appearance on their own selves, only each other. They also didn't feel any different, other than the utter weightless that had lingered with them even after entering the dream. Cut Man felt he could be as strong as Guts Man, and Guts Man thought he could be as fast and light on his feet as Cut Man.

Cut Man and Guts Man found their disguises hilarious, and tried describing them to one another. As they argued who looked more ridiculous, their fears lifted. Entering the dream had seemed strange and foreboding from the outside world, but now that they were inside they had a sense that nothing really mattered here.

Still, Dr. Wily would dismantle them for spare parts if they didn't get their job done. They headed into the suburb center (stepping over roofs and into streets and backyards along the way) toward one house that stood out. It looked like the others, yet seemed larger, more colorful, and more distinct, almost as if it were more substantial and the others were just pale reflections.

Once Cut Man and Guts Man were standing in its driveway, they looked down at an open window in its side, no bigger to them than a mouse hole, where they could see inside a room. Guts Man bent over to the window, grabbing its sills with his fingers, then began pulling. The window sill stretched like a rubber band, until the opening was wide enough for them to climb through.

The room looked much larger on the inside. It was painted a deep cranberry red. Clothes, a baseball bat, toy dinosaurs, checker pieces, books, a cap gun, Lincoln log pieces, a train set, and a view master scattered around the room like debris.

At the far end of the room was Mayor Hill. His face looked the same with his bushy brown mustache, but to them he looked no taller than the knee cap on Cut Man's boot. He wore an orange cap and a corduroy bib that was too big for him. He looked awkward perched on the edge of the bed, hugging a mohair teddy bear with black glass eyes and a hand-stitched nose.

"Mommy? Daddy? Is that really you?" Mayor Hill called out to them.

"Yeah, it's us, your daddy, and your mommy," said Guts Man.

"And you've been a very, very bad boy!" said Cut Man.

Cut Man and Guts Man didn't like the mayor very much as he tended to defy Dr. Wily, making it harder to take over New York City.

Mayor Hill buried his face into the teddy bear's mohair. "But I'm not a bad boy, I'm a good boy!" He gestured to the paperwork scattered around him on the bed. "—But I've been so busy. I didn't mean to forget to do my chores. And I'll visit more often, I promise."

As he fidgeted, a cascade of documents fell off of the bed and was swallowed up by the shadows as though sucked into a vacuum.

"No!" he moaned, reaching out in vain for the hours of paperwork slipping out of his grasp.

"Then prove you're a good boy!" wheezed Cut Man, picking Mayor Hill up in his hand like a doll. "Go to City Hall, and get your secret passcode out of the vault! Then fax it to me."

"Do it now!" thundered Guts Man, his voice echoing throughout the dream.

* * *

Mayor Hill tossed fitfully in his bed. "Do it now…do it now…do it now…" he murmured. He sat up, got out of bed, headed downstairs and out the double entry doors.

"…Do it now…"

He climbed into the black town car parked outside. A second later, the engine revved on and the car shot down the driveway, splintering the wooden gate before weaving haphazardly down the street.

* * *

"Um…isn't having the Mayor drive a car while sleepwalking a bit dangerous?" Proto Man asked. A small part of him wondered if he needed to intervene before Dr. Wily's plan went seriously wrong.

Dr. Wily waved a hand at him. "Cut Man and Guts Man have complete control of him now. He will not crash."

The town car was now driving so close to the curb that its right side view mirror was toppling the recycling bins that had been left out for collection.

"Yeah, that's gunna attract attention," Proto Man muttered to himself as the town car's taillights disappeared over a hill.

* * *

Mega Man and Roll, dressed in hats and coats, were exiting from the Monty Cinema, an old fashion movie theater in uptown New York City that played blockbusters and cult favorites from decades past. They had just finished watching a showing of _The Last Dragon._

"What a great movie!" said Roll jubilantly as they passed the outdoor ticket booth, which had closed for the night. "I sure do love Kung Fu movies."

"I liked the music," said Mega Man. He yawned. Roll had talked him into going to the midnight screening, and while he had a good time, he was starting to feel tired.

It was a cold night. A few humans were catching cabs under the golden light of the marque, but otherwise the street around the cinema was quiet. Roll and Mega Man walked down the empty sidewalk, heading toward the side street where they had parked the red Aerohead convertible (which had its hardtop roof closed until the end of winter). They passed a line of movie posters in backlit frames along the way. Their illustrations depicted scenes of giant monsters attacking capital cities, a human couple embracing on a beach at sunset, a black and white detective's office, the interior of a blood-spattered abandoned house, and finally a woman with wavy blonde curls and a teal catsuit exiting an armored sports car, a gun slung across her back, bullets and explosions streaking across the background, and a caption that read: _Evelyn Wray in Spy Hunter._

Roll pointed at the last poster. _"_ Let's go to that one next! I've always wanted to see it in theaters."

"That looks kinda violent," Mega Man commented.

"It's not violent! Well…okay, it is, but I think you'd like it. I've seen all her movies. She does all of her own stunts. She's a total badass…for a human."

Mega Man and Roll stopped walking. Their electronic hearing had picked up something. In the distance, tires were squealing against asphalt. The sound grew gradually louder, echoing through the building until suddenly a black town car came barreling down the street and straight through a red light. Cross traffic came to a screeching halt, honking angrily. A delivery truck driver leaned out of his window and shouted after the runaway car, "What are ya, crazy?!"

The town car sped past Mega Man and Roll in a black blur, turning a corner so sharply that it bounced over the curb, its rear bumper falling off.

"Hey, that was the mayor! In his pajamas!" Mega Man gasped. "Something's up, c'mon!"

They ran to side street, Roll pulling the keys for the convertible out of her coat pocket, when the street lights above them flickered then exploded in a burst of electricity, broken glass tinkling to the ground. They turned around, and saw the silhouettes of Bomb Man and Elec Man standing in the street behind them.

Roll drew a circular saw from her utility arm and took a battle stance. Mega Man wasn't so easily battle ready, though fortunately he had worn his titanium skin suit under his clothing. He threw off his coat and reached into his canvas backpack, ducking under a _Thunder Beam_ as he slipped on his titanium gauntlets, jumping into his boots as Roll charged past him, and had just slipped on his helmet in time for a _Hyper Bomb_ to explode against his back. Mega Man was flung forward into a bus stop shelter, which collapsed on top of him. He shook himself off, drawing a plasma cannon, then joined his sister in the fray.

It wasn't easy dodging the two Robot Masters _._ Elec Man was constantly changing positions, making it seem like random lighting strikes were hailing at them from every angle of the street. Mega Man and Roll both knew if one touched them they'd be down in one hit. It didn't help that Elec Man's black armor blended into the night, and they could only see golden flashes from the harlequin mask on his helmet as he darted around.

Bomb Man's weapon was not as powerful as _Thunder Beam,_ but _Hyper Bombs_ were still _bombs_ and caused a lot of collateral damage, blowing up parked cars and the fronts of street-level shops, scattering glass everywhere. The _Hyper Bombs_ were also difficult to see (and Bomb Man's aim was not bad), so Mega Man and Roll had to listen for the direction of hissing fuses seconds before deafening impact while avoiding _Thunder Beams_.

Bomb Man rolled a _Hyper Bomb_ like a bowling ball at Mega Man _,_ who was busy firing at Elec Man and couldn't dodge in time. He was knocked back into a building, sinking an inch into the brick. Elec Man appeared suddenly in front of him, his fingers crackling with blue electricity, but just as fast he dashed away again as a flying circular saw buried itself the wall next to Mega Man, only half an inch away from his neck.

"Sorry!" said Roll. "Trying to hit _that_ creep, but he's too fast."

Mega Man detached himself from the wall in time to leap over another _Hyper Bomb,_ which completely shattered the wall and sent brick cascading into the street.

Mega Man felt that they couldn't keep this up forever. One wrong move and Elec Man would hit one of them with _Thunder Beam,_ and if that didn't finish them off Bomb Man would _._ He and Roll needed to neutralize one of the Robot Masters in order to get at the other. He remembered how Elec Man had collapsed after he had soaked him with water from a firehose back on the Warship Hunter. It seemed to be a hidden weakness. But there was no water around, not even a fire hydrant or puddle—except—

A plan springing into to his mind, Mega Man went for the slower of the two Robot Masters first, running toward Bomb Man.

Bomb Man saw him coming, and threw more bombs at Mega Man, leveling a phone booth and a newspaper stand, but once Mega Man got into a certain range, Bomb Man was hesitant to continue throwing _Hyper Bombs_ at him, as he too would suffer damage from the explosion. He held his bomb aloft by his fingertips. "Hey, what are you doing—"

Mega Man lunged for Bomb Man's forearm, draining his weapon energy. Bomb Man stumbled back, still holding his remaining _Hyper Bomb_ as though it were a delicate vase. "Hey!" he croaked.

Mega Man ignored him. He caught Roll's eye, and they both focused on Elec Man, moving in the silent coordination only achieved by two siblings working together.

Mega Man fired a _Hyper Bomb_ at Elec Man's feet. As Elec Man dodged, leaping onto the roof of a station wagon, the _Hyper Bomb_ blew a deep crater in the middle lane of the street. At the same time, Roll pressed a button on her utility arm. Elec Man had just aimed a _Thunder Beam_ at her, forcing her to scramble into an alley to avoid the sizzling arc, but behind them, the headlights of the Aerohead convertible had flashed on. A small cannon unfolding from its hood, which fired. Elec Man turned around just in time to see the blast from the unexpected secret weapon before it hit him, sending him airborne. Mega Man switched to his plasma cannon and fired at Elec Man, the strike pushing him toward the hole in the street. Elec Man tumbled into the darkness.

* * *

For a second, Elec Man was confused where he was. He lay sprawled in icy, opaque water. City light streamed in from a large hole above his head, and round black openings of tunnels yawned on either side.

He had fallen into the tubular brick New York City sewer system. His ears were buzzing with static, and steam hissed off his armor, which was as hot as an ironing plate. He felt sore, but in an after-the-fact sort of way, as his processor had crashed during the actual _Thunder Beam_ backfire that had occurred when he had fallen into the sewer water. Yet, as far as his systems could tell, no permanent damage had occurred, though a warning flashed in his eyes that he had only a sliver of energy left.

There was a loud _BOOM above—_ Bomb Man had thrown his remaining _Hyper Bomb_ at Mega Man—then Bomb Man hopped into the sewer, landing next to him with a splash. "Are you okay?"

Elec Man looked down at his wrists where he had installed the circuits Proto Man had given him. "Yeah," he said slowly.

Elec Man staggered to his feet, and for the first time noticed how slimy the bottom of the sewer was, something like the mossy bottom of a still pond. He gazed down the long stream of frothy sludge.

"What is this…?" he hissed, flicking water off his hands.

"Best not knowing," Bomb Man said frankly. "Let's get out of here!"

They splashed down the tunnel and into the darkness.

* * *

The noise of the battle had attracted a lot of attention, and police sirens were closing in on the scene. Humans from upper story apartments were leaning out the fire escapes, shouting to keep it down and that some people had to work in the morning before hurrying out of the cold and back inside.

Roll was patching up the hole in the street using the steel door from a destroyed post office as a support, rubble from the buildings as a base, and quick setting cement from her utility arm. Mega Man called back to the laboratory, asking Doris to wake Dr. Light and send Rush into the city with an energy can from Eddie. He was low on plasma after repeated _Hyper Bomb_ hits.

"Since when does our car do _that?"_ asked Mega Man after Doris had hung up, pointing at the convertible, which was blocking off the street until the police arrived to control traffic.

"I modified it in my workshop," Roll said proudly. "I'm also working on giving it jet wings so it can fly, but I haven't tested that out yet. I might need Dad's help."

Roll tamped down the temporary patch with the back of a shovel then inspected it, nodding to herself. Then she said to Mega Man, "Figures Wily's Bad-bots are up to something again. And what was up with the mayor?"

"I bet you a hundred gold medallions they're connected," said Mega Man. He spotted Rush flying above him, and waved him down. Rush landed in the street, dropping the energy can he was carrying in his mouth at Mega Man's feet. Mega Man picked it up then leaped onto his back. "C'mon," he called to Roll. "It looked like Mayor Hill was heading to City Hall. We've got to find him!"

It was going to be a long, sleepless night.

**_To be continued…_ **


	12. Mega Dreams, Part 2

Dr. Wily sat engrossed at one of the dream machine's control consoles, monitoring a screen that looked a bit like a complicated polygraph readout which mapped Cut Man and Guts Man's progress through Mayor Hill's dream.

At the back of the van, Proto Man was reclined next to the dream machine, arms crossed in boredom, wondering how much longer it would take when Bomb Man and Elec Man reentered the van quietly.

Bomb Man headed toward a stash of energy cans while Elec Man immediately opened a supply cabinet next to Proto Man. He grabbed a towel and began wiping a layer of scum off his boots.

"What happened?" Proto Man asked him, standing up straight.

"We fell in a sewer," Elec Man replied shortly.

"Oh. That sucks. You alright?"

Elec Man tossed the dirty towel into a trash bin. "Yeah."

"Good." Proto Man hesitated, glancing over at Dr. Wily, who was typing heavily and muttering to himself, clearly not noticing that Bomb Man and Elec Man had returned yet. "You know, destroying Mega Man is like _my_ thing. If Wily orders you to get rid of him, we ought to team up."

"You weren't included in my instructions. Wily doesn't trust you to finish a battle with Mega Man because your sentiments toward him get in the way _every time._ "

"Hey! _That_ is not true—"

"I'd rather go with Bomb Man," Elec Man cut over him.

Proto Man paused, losing his train of thought."…Why Bomb Man?"

"He's hardworking, humble, and he takes tasks seriously," Elec Man said crisply.

Proto Man had a feeling he was being baited with this answer, and, amused, was about to respond, when—

"Elec Man! Bomb Man!"

Dr. Wily's beady eyes had finally picked them out in the back of the van. He swiveled around in his chair, glaring at Elec Man, waiting for an explanation. "Well…? Did you take care of Mega Man?"

"No," Elec Man answered slowly. "He overpowered us, and we were forced to retreat. I believe he took off with Rush to follow the mayor."

"I expect more from you, Elec Man, especially after the lengthy repair I had just finished." Dr. Wily glanced pointedly at Proto Man.

Elec Man maintained a blank facial expression, but there was a cold, murderous glint in his eyes as he stared back at Dr. Wily. Though this was how he looked at almost everyone, Proto Man had a feeling Elec Man was struggling a bit internally with feelings of hurt pride—first at losing to Mega Man again, second at being chastised by Dr. Wily about it.

"Don't worry about it Wily," spoke up Proto Man smoothly. "Mega Man was _bound_ to notice the dreamers anyway. He sticks his nose in everything. Besides, Elec Man's still recalibrating from his repairs, he'll be back to one-hundred percent next time—and Bomb Man's a hardworking, humble robot who always take his job seriously."

Bomb Man, who had rarely been spoken to by Proto Man, gave him a befuddled look, his thick yellow brows drawn down over his eyes as though wondering what Proto Man was up to. Elec Man stared ahead, the murderous glint replaced with slight exasperation, and Dr. Wily softened. He turned to his dream machine.

"True, Mega Man cannot stop this plan. He will never figure it out in time. I have been working on it for _years…_ " Dr. Wily said dramatically, getting up and patting the dream machine's casing affectionately. "The ability to transform a robot into a theta brain wave that can invade a human conscious like a virus…"

Elec Man wrinkled his nose and shot Proto Man a look as though Dr. Wily had said something deeply offensive. Proto Man shrugged back.

"Don't look at me, I don't get his science either, I just go with it," he said in an undertone.

"If this works the way he says it can, I can think of a thousand better ways to apply this technology to get money, resources, or power," Elec Man replied.

"Hmm, that's nice. We're doing this Wily's way."

Just then, the arms of the dream machine lit up with a crackling violet energy. Dr. Wily, Proto Man, and Elec Man hastily stepped back to make room as Cut Man and Guts Man materialized in the van.

"So, you've returned from the dream," said Dr. Wily.

"What was it like?" asked Bomb Man.

"It was weird!" said Cut Man enthusiastically. "The sky was pink and everything was tiny and made of smoke!"

"Yeah, and the mayor was acting like a little kid," Guts Man guffawed. "—And he thought Cut Man and I were his parents! We even looked like 'em too in his dream."

"Did you get the security code?" Dr. Wily interrupted impatiently.

Before they could answer, Dr. Wily's fax machine whirred to life, and a paper print out hit the floor. Dr. Wily swooped down and picked it up immediately. He gave a cackle of glee as he scanned it, then snapped back to business mode, folding the print out into the front pocket of his lab coat.

"Mega Man is now on the alert. He may interfere if one of our targets acts out irrationally while carrying out my orders. I can't risk him seeing this machine." He pointed at Elec Man sternly. "If Mega Man is no longer using his car, then you can no longer track him with your little toy computer. Therefore, you and Bomb Man will intercept our next target in a discreet location while I keep the van hidden. You can make up for your failure by bringing me the information I require safely and without Mega Man following."

"Why don't I go with them?" suggested Proto Man. "Safety in numbers and all," he added innocently.

Dr. Wily considered Proto Man for a moment. "Fine, but don't waste time. I need the credentials, then we keep moving, got it? We are on a tight time schedule!"

"Scout's honor."

Dr. Wily scrutinized Proto Man, not finding this humorous, but then turned to the wheel of the van.

"Now to pay the police chief a visit."

* * *

The upscale ranch house had rustic charm with modern furnishings: handsome gables, raised ceilings, polished hardwood floors, a sixty-inch tv with surround sound, a heated outdoor pool, and a fully automated home security system as secure as a prison.

It was the third residence Chief Fibes had lived in this year. No matter where he moved, nothing ever seemed quite right. He could feel a growing sense of unease at the back of his mind, something he couldn't shake.

Fibes tossed and turned in his sheets as the violet flash of light soared through the window and into his temple, a familiar nightmare forming in his mind.

* * *

After their trip through Mayor Hill's dream, Cut Man and Guts Man felt much more confident about Dr. Wily's new invention and even looked forward to jumping into the next dream.

The Police Chief's dream started in a gray, smoke like fog. They could hear a soft ticking noise echoing around them, as though from a giant clock, but they couldn't tell in which direction it was coming from. Ahead, they could see gloomy lights shining weakly in the darkness, and they followed them until an empty street slowly faded into view around them.

They realized they were in an area of New York City they knew well from trips they had taken with Dr. Wily—the criminal Underground. A brick wall with peeling paint lined one side of the street, and debris from the occasional laser fight littered the ground. The windows in the surrounding buildings were dark, and a muffled knocking sound came from behind their doors. The lights they had followed were actually bendy street lights. Most were out, leaving ominous shadows, and the few that worked were like the glowing lures of an angler fish—tempting those leery of the darkness into the false comfort of light, where they could be easily seen and jumped.

From one of the dark windows, Cut Man and Guts Man caught a glimpse of their reflection. Unlike Mayor Hill's dream, they could now see their own changed appearance, but they didn't look like funny humans this time—they still resembled themselves, but _sinister._

Cut Man's head looked something like a perfectly round, mouthless jack-o-lantern with circular sheer blades sticking out of it like large, flat horns. Glowing blue optics shone behind dark half moon openings in his orange, mask-like shell of a face. Long fingers of fine, silvery daggers glinted at his side.

Guts Man had spikes on his shoulder pads, and one of his arms had been replaced heavy, robotic limb ending in a giant claw shaped like lineman's pliers. His legs ended in massive tank treads that crunched litter and rubble into puffs of dream-smoke as he rolled over them.

After looking at their reflection, their dream bodies seemed to shift into these new shapes. Impressed with their new appearances, they set down the street with a swagger.

Ahead, Chief Fibes walked alone down a cross street. In the real world, he was a fit man in his early forties, but in the dream he looked haggard, with shabby clothes, a bent back, gray hair, and lined skin. A police siren went off in the distance. He turned up his collar, and kept glancing behind him as though checking to see if he were being followed.

"Pst! Hey, mister…" Cut Man called softly. Having no physical mouth, his voice had a metallic ring to it, as though it were being radioed in from somewhere else.

Fibes stopped in his tracks, his face turning white. "Uh…W-Who's there?"

Cut Man and Guts Man closed in on him, Cut Man sliding his scissors-like fingers back and forth, creating an unnerving rasp.

"Your worst nightmare, that's who!" boomed Guts Man. He revved forward on his treads with a sudden burst of speed, grabbing Fibes by the collar with his claw and yanking his closer.

"Don't hurt me!" whimpered Fibes, shielding his head.

"Never a cop around when you need one, eh chief?" jeered Cut Man, brandishing a _Rolling Cutter_ as he let out a wheezy laugh.

Fibes held up his hands as he flinched away, squirming uselessly between the jaws of Guts Man's claw. "Anything you want, just let me go!" he begged, holding up his hands and flinching away.

Cut Man leveled his glowing eyes with Fibes, pointing the _Rolling Cutter_ closer to his lined face, its razor-sharp edges as thin as butterfly wings. "What we want is information, _special_ information—the name of the head of security at the space research center!

"You better get it for us, or you're gunna get it from us! Get it?" growled Guts Man, flinging Fibes to the ground.

* * *

Outside the dream, Fibes had broken into a cold sweat. He twisted in his sheets, his hand outstretched in front of him to fend off foes from his nightmare.

"Gotta get the name…gotta get…the name…" he murmured, sitting up.

* * *

Mega Man, Roll, and Rush ran up the marble stairs into City Hall. The bemused night security waved them through the lobby and up to the second floor. The door to the mayor's office stood wide open, but the room was dark.

"There he is!" said Roll as they entered.

Mayor Hill was sitting at his desk, one arm holding a corded yellow phone receiver up to his ear, the other hanging loosely over the armrest. His neck was bent backward over the top of the chair, his eyes were shut and his mouth hanging open.

"He's sound asleep!" said Mega Man. He began shaking his shoulder. "Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor! Wake up!"

Mayor Hill dropped his arm holding the phone receiver. "Gotta get the…secret security code…" he muttered blearily. His eyes opened slowly. He looked up at Mega Man, and started. "Mega Man! I had the strangest dream—" he cut himself off as he glanced across his desk. "It's true, my security vault!" he exclaimed, bolting up from his chair and pointing at the tall locker beside his desk.

"It was open when we came in," said Roll.

"I think…I think I did this, in my sleep," muttered Mayor Hill in shock. He raked his hands through his hair helplessly. "How could this happen?"

The phone rang from Mayor Hill's desk. Roll picked it up.

"Mayor's office!" she greeted. She paused, listening to the other end for a moment, her eyebrows rising into her bangs. She turned the mouthpiece away from her mouth as she shot Mega Man a look. "Mega Man! The police chief is at police headquarters—in his bathrobe!"

* * *

Proto Man, Elec Man, and Bomb Man waited between the thick concrete pillars under one of the city's raised train platforms as the police chief's cruiser rolled up to the sleepy junction. Fibes climbed out of his car with half-lidded eyes. He tottered toward them, his hand outstretched, a piece of paper clutched in his fist. He gave it to Proto Man, who glanced at its contents before tucking it into his scarf.

"Sweet dreams, Chiefy! Heh heh heh heh!" chuckled Proto Man, patting Fibes on the shoulder. He turned to leave.

"Gotta be the last time…" Fibes muttered to himself. "…Gotta be enough…Syndicate robots again...but I already gave them what they wanted…they shouldn't have come back...no more…"

Proto Man turned back around, examining Fibes closely, who was trembling, his brow glistening with sweat.

"Wait…in the dream, does he think Cut Man and Guts Man are _Syndicate_ robots?" Proto Man mused with interest. "What does the chief of police know about the Syndicate?" He glanced over at Elec Man who returned a flat, 'don't look at me' look, then back at Fibes, and poked his shoulder. "What was that about the Syndicate?" he asked him. "What did you give them?"

"Classified files…Red Bomber…"

"What?" Proto Man asked sharply, his smile faded completely as he drew a plasma cannon.

"Um…we got what Dr. Wily asked for…shouldn't we let him go?" Bomb Man asked, watching Proto Man's blaster closely. "Besides, they say you shouldn't wake sleep walkers."

Proto Man ignored Bomb Man and gave Fibes a rough shove with the end of his blaster.

Chief Fibes stumbled backward. "Wha, huh?" he stammered, jerking awake. "I was just—" He looked around, blinking and rubbing his eyes, then caught sight of Proto Man and the Robot Masters, his eyes flying open in anger. "Where am I, and how did I get here?" he demanded, pulling his terrycloth robe closer to him and shivering.

"Never mind that," said Proto Man. He gave Fibes another push with his blaster, backing him against one of the concrete supports. "I gotta few questions for you, and you're gonna answer them."

"I'm not scared of punks like the bad-bots," said Fibes.

"Oh yeah? But you _are_ scared of the Syndicate."

"What are you babbling about? I don't know anything about a syndicate."

"Make 'im talk, Elec Man."

Elec Man hadn't moved, but Fibes flinched involuntarily at his name. "Alright, alright! Just—keep it down," he hissed.

"You were talking in your sleep, Fibes," prompted Proto Man. "What's your deal with the Syndicate? They're criminals."

Fibes seemed uncomfortable yet defiant. He was glaring at Proto Man's face, ignoring the blaster pointed at his chest.

"They may be criminals, but the Syndicate and the police got along just fine," he said through gnashed teeth. "They're an odd bunch—trench coats and fedoras—a bit theatrical but _real professional_. They told me to make sure the mayor never caught wind of them, and to keep that electric robot," he pointed at Elec Man, "—And that Pharaoh robot off the records, but they were never a problem! Real polite to police officers even. Sure, the Syndicate may get rough with a few low-life crooks every now and then…but what do we care? Crime was never lower than when the Syndicate was around."

"You said 'Red Bomber'…" said Proto Man dangerously, dropping his voice.

"What of it?"

Proto Man moved his blaster closer to Fibes.

"Alright, alright! They were interested in your creation. Paid me real well for all the files I had on you."

"What did the files say about my creator?"

The tip of Proto Man's plasma cannon was so close to Fibes's neck that he felt him swallow. His other hand was clenched, and shaking. Bomb Man's eyes were bouncing nervously between Proto Man and Fibes. Elec Man was looking down at the ground.

"Who, Wily?" asked Fibes, bewildered. "That he built you using some parts he stole from Tom Light!"

"That's all…?" Proto Man pulled his plasma cannon back a little. "And they _paid_ you for this information?"

"Not only did they pay me, but they promised to take care of you. _Permanently._ And I don't care what that means!" His eyes sparked maliciously. "Without you, we'd have Wily behind bars and save a fortune on police drones every year! We could even upgrade to those new models like the ones Chief Fictus has in California!"

Proto Man was not moved. "If I reported any of this, you'd lose your job—you might even go to prison. You're a crooked cop."

"Oh yeah? Who'll listen to _you?"_ Fibes sneered. "You have no right to judge, and you'll get what's comin' to you, mark my words."

Proto Man didn't lower his blaster. Neither he nor Fibes moved, each glaring at each other as though everything else had been forgotten. Bomb Man shifted uncomfortably. Proto Man was thinking furiously. He knew the Syndicate was influential, but they had flipped a police chief on him—just with _money._

A golden blast of plasma exploded in the pavement in front of them, interrupting Proto Man's thoughts.

"Mega Man!" croaked Bomb Man, squinting up into the night sky at Mega Man and Roll, who were rocketing toward them on Rush's jet. He, Proto Man, and Elec Man ducked as Mega Man fired again, Rush shooting through the gap underneath the bridge and narrowly missing their heads. As Rush performed a hairpin turn midair for another aerial strafe, they scattered between the concrete pillars, taking cover behind trash cans.

Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, Mega Man hopped off Rush, landing next to Fibes. He pushed him toward his patrol car, then was blown upward as a _Hyper Bomb_ and Proto Man's plasma blast combined into a volcano-like eruption right next to him _._ He landed on the bridge next to the train tracks.

Proto Man waved Bomb Man back. "Smooth entrance," he called up to Mega Man, "But now that you have our attention, I hope you're ready settle our last fight."

Mega Man smirked back at him. " _Settle_ a fight? You sure about that? Last time we settled a fight, I ended up ahea—"

A thin rope of electricity arced over the safety railing of the monorail, hitting Mega Man. With a clunk followed by a sizzle a bit like water hitting a frying pan, they heard Mega Man fall to the tracks, incapacitated.

"Hey! We were talking," Proto Man complained, rounding on Elec Man.

"Whoops," said Elec Man lazily. He darted away from Proto Man's side and up to the top of the bridge in two fast bounds.

Proto Man was about to follow when he heard a minuscule whistle. He ducked, and a circular saw scrapped against the concrete pillar behind him in a flash of sparks. He looked over at the source of fire. Rush was hovering a few feet off the ground, his jets scattering bits of litter across the frosty pavement. Roll had her utility arm trained on Proto Man, one eye closed, as she appeared to be aiming for his head.

"That's nice," Proto Man snickered. On his other side, Bomb Man was hoisting a smoking _Hyper Bomb._

* * *

Mega Man was stuck to the electrified tracks like a paperclip to a magnet. He was beginning to grow a grudge against this quiet Robot Master, who appeared to be smarter than the rest of Wily's robots on average tended to be. It was the second time Elec Man had taken Mega Man down with a cheap shot.

Elec Man leapt lightly on the safety railing. He was crouched somewhat spider-like, with one hand holding onto bar for balance. His other hand was lit up with a blinding charge that could finish Mega Man off, but he hesitated, looked over his shoulder down at Proto Man, who was fighting Roll, then down the track as the electricity died from his fingers. Mega Man followed his gaze.

The single light of a late night commuter train was rounding the corner. It let out a long honk. Mega Man could feel the tracks rattle beneath his back. Not wanting to become a metal pancake, he thought furiously how to get out of this one.

Electric trains were powered by an electric current running through the third track. The track was powered in sections, and a generator for each section usually located at intersections, stations, and substation gaps. Mega Man looked down the track, searching. Then he lifted his plasma cannon, pointing it to a spot between him and the approaching train, and fired.

There was a small explosion like a firework and the track became unpowered. Mega Man hastily rolled into the gravel as the train swept through. All of its lights flickered off as it lost electricity, and it began to lose speed.

"I hate doing that," Mega Man muttered, watching as the train cars slowed, passengers pressing their faces against the window. Feeling dizzy, he checked his energy gauge, which was running low. Then he looked beyond the train, and as the last car rolled by, he realized Elec Man was no longer there. Not good.

Suddenly, the bridge began rocking under him as plasma blasts thundered against its bottom, punching holes through the concrete. Mega Man stumbled.

Meanwhile, he noticed Elec Man was climbing up the safety railing behind him…

* * *

Seeing Mega Man was in trouble, Roll abandoned her fight with Proto Man (who was weaving between pillars while firing up at Mega Man, trying to start conversations with her, and being generally annoying), swerved out of the way of a _Hyper Bomb_ (which decimated a ticket kiosk) and streaked up to bridge level in a millisecond, blasting Elec Man with her toaster cannon. The impact blew apart the safety railing, and Elec Man was hurled off the bridge, powering down. Below, Bomb Man slid a recycling bin full of plastic bottles underneath Elec Man, who landed with a crunch.

* * *

Proto Man's communicator was beeping.

"Proto Man!" Dr. Wily's voice hissed. "The dream was terminated early. Where are you?"

"I've got the info, but Mega Man and Roll showed up!"

"Leave them! We are on a tight time schedule. I need that information now!"

Proto Man watched Bomb Man heave Elec Man out of the recycling bin and toss him over his shoulder like a duffle bag, then take off running down a dark alleyway.

"Fine, we're leaving," said Proto Man, cutting off the transmission. He raised his plasma cannon and fired, striking Rush on the underside of his jet. Rush gave a surprised yelp, careening off course, and Roll slid off, crashing through first-floor windows of a bank and swearing colorfully. Then Proto Man pointed up at Mega Man, who was peering over the ruined safety rail at them. "This isn't over yet, brother," he called up, before turning on his heel and following Bomb Man back through the city.

* * *

"I hate to see grown robots run," said Mega Man as he hopped off the bridge next to Roll, who was combing glass out of her hair.

Chief Fibes gave them a brief account of what had happened. Apparently, he had woken up under the bridge next to the Bad-bots, with no idea of how he had gotten there or what the Bad-bots had wanted. When he had finished, he got back into his patrol car to drove off while Roll and Mega Man called Dr. Light on Mega Man's communicator to tell him about the night's strange events.

"…Both Mayor Hill and Chief Fibes had strange nightmares, during which they were sleepwalking and breaking into their own offices," Mega Man explained. "Somehow Wily is tricking them into handing over some sort of document to his robots…and neither could remember their dreams well enough to recall what it was!"

"Do you think it's mind control? …Again?" asked Roll sardonically.

"I think it's more complicated than that," answered Dr. Light thoughtfully. "Back when Dr. Wily and I were colleagues, some of his earliest research projects related to dream psychology. He theorized that there was a way to transport a robot into a sleeping human's subconscious, or the 'dream world,' and that he would one day invent a machine that would do just that."

"But that's impossible," said Mega Man, raising his brows at Roll, who shrugged back. "…Isn't it?"

"He was rather ridiculed by other scientists in our social circle," Dr. Light admitted, laughing, "But Dr. Wily has proven himself to be very skilled in mad science. By building a dream machine, I believe he is more or less showing off to the world that he was right."

"So he can transmit whatever he wants into people's dreams, like the mayor's and police chief's!" Mega Man summed up.

"Exactly, but we have no idea what he's up to. I'll have to find a way to counteract his dream transmissions."

"Chief Fibes just went back to the police station to see if he could find any clues about what he gave to the Bad-bots, meanwhile we've got to find Dr. Wily."

"I'll send searcher bots to help you," said Dr. Light. "They are a prototype surveillance drone I've developed for Senator King as a counter to Dr. Wily's battontons. They work at street level to provide additional surveillance that Galaxy Man cannot provide from the Emergency Satellite Scanner. Keep an eye on your communicator, they will page you as soon as they find anything. With any luck, we'll catch Dr. Wily before he has another chance to strike!"

"Will do!" said Mega Man as he and Roll climbed aboard Rush again.

* * *

Proto Man and Bomb Man were running through narrow alleys and lonely side streets, Bomb Man's large orange feet pounding against the ground heavily. At every corner, Proto Man checked behind them, ready to fight, but neither Mega Man nor Roll were following them. Disappointed, he looked over at Bomb Man, who was still carrying Elec Man.

"So…you two are kinda like buddies then," he said casually, nodding at Elec Man.

"I dunno if I'd go that far," replied Bomb Man. "We don't hang out or anything—I'm an industrial mine blasting robot and he's some sort of gangster, after all. We get along alright though."

"That's more than most can say. Hey, by the way, I wanted to talk to you."

Bomb Man seemed very suspicious of this. Once again, his brows had formed a deep concerned V as he regarded Proto Man. "You want to talk…to me?"

"Yeah, you know…as robots."

"Um…no offense, but that seems really unlikely."

"Why? We've both been in Wily's team for a while."

"I dunno…this is weird."

Proto Man ignored him and continued. "You ought to come on more missions. You were one of the first six that invaded the airport, making you one of our most experienced Robot Masters we have. What do you say?"

"Sure, I guess…but…hasn't something terrible happened to all of the others? I mean, Ice Man got burned up in a giant blimp, Elec Man was on a repair table for a month, Fire Man is _still_ on a repair table, and Cut Man and Guts Man get blown up all of the time on missions—"

"Alright, alright…forget about it."

"And what was up with you and the chief of police? Is everything okay?"

"Mind your own business."

They had reached the van, which was backed into a tight street-way between a pizzeria and a nail salon (both closed for the night), the edges of the oversized cargo hold brushing against the brick walls.

Elec Man was beginning to reboot. As he began to stir, Bomb Man set him down on his feet.

"Alright there, hotshot?" Proto Man asked pleasantly as Elec Man shook his head as though to clear it.

"What the hell was I hit with?"

"Dunno. Roll packs stuff she finds in Light's garage, like gardening tools and ballistic missiles. Looked like some sort of particle beam made out of a toaster."

They filed into the passenger side of the van, where Dr. Wily was waiting for them eagerly. As Proto Man took the wheel to drive them to their next target, his thoughts returned to Mega Man, feeling unsatisfied that he had been forced to abandon their fight. He pulled out into the main street, the cargo hold bouncing behind them, then vented his frustration out loud to Dr. Wily.

"I'll teach that brother of mine a lesson he'll never forget!"

"Some other time!" snapped Dr. Wily. He was holding the documents collected from Mayor Hill and Chief Fibes in each hand as though they were valuable property deeds. "We have to get to the space research center with the mayor's security code and the name of the space center's head of security, compliments of our police chief." He hugged the papers to his chest. "My dream machine will soon be in orbit, and the whole world will be mine!"

* * *

Further down the street hovered a capsule-shaped blue drone, a silvery propeller whirling around it middle in a circular blur. It began tailing Dr. Wily's van like a small helicopter, a short antenna on its top blinking.

* * *

Roll and Mega Man were soaring nearly twenty feet above the tallest skyscrapers when Mega Man's communicator began to flash.

"The searcher bots have picked up Wily and his scum bots," he murmured to Roll. "They're around here somewhere…"

They looked down, scanning the headlights of the cars moving through the streets below like glowing ants, then spotted a van with an oversized cargo hold heading toward the river. It didn't match any type of commercial or privately owned van they had ever seen in the city before. It was also making several illegal left turns and driving over the speed limit.

"We've got em now, boy!" said Mega Man as Rush dove down.

* * *

Dr. Wily's van was about to cross the Elm Street Bridge, its tires bumping at the small gap where the bridge connected with the city street, when Proto Man noticed something blue standing in the middle of the road.

"What the…?!"

Mega Man fired at him head on. Proto Man jerked the steering wheel hard to the left. Cut Man and Elec Man lurched in their seats, Bomb Man and Guts Man crashed in the back, the dream machine shook against the restraints holding it to the floor, and Dr. Wily slammed against the passenger side window, cursing as the van swerved sideways and came to a screeching halt, the plasma blast hitting its windowless side.

"Take him out, once and for all!" Dr. Wily snarled, rubbing his head.

* * *

Mega Man watched his plasma blast bounce off the van's cargo hold like a ping-pong ball.

"That van's protected by a plasma shield!" he muttered to Roll.

Rush stared intently at the van. His body had gone rigid, his tail erect, and one forepaw held up like a hunting dog pointing. Astonished, Roll and Mega Man looked down at him, and noticed his eyes seems to be focusing on something _inside_ the van, while making tiny clicks noises like closing shutters.

Meanwhile, they heard the doors on the opposite van open up, and then Proto Man at Elec Man leaned out from behind each of the van's bumpers.

Elec Man attacked first, shooting a _Thunder Beam_ directly at them. Roll and Rush split toward the pedestrian walkway, while Mega Man leaped into the steel supports above, grabbing on to one of the crossbeams with his free hand.

Cut Man emerged from the van next, Bomb Man not far behind, holding two _Hyper Bombs_ in the palms of his hands.

"Let's cut to the chase, Mega Man!" cried Cut Man, firing two _Rolling Cutters_ that cut through the crossbeam Mega Man was hanging from. Mega Man landed on his feet but tumbled aside as the metal crossbeam hit the ground with an earsplitting _bang,_ startling the pigeons roosting in the piers below.

Elec Man had both hands out in front of him, electricity shooting out in dazzling bursts like a camera flash. He was about to strike Roll, who had caught a _Hyper Bomb_ with a lacrosse stick in her utility arm and was flinging it back, when suddenly Proto Man darted between them, his blaster trained on the _Hyper Bomb_. He fired at it, and it exploded into ball of fire midair, sending a wave of heat and smoke above them.

"Proto Man, you're in my line of sight," Mega Man heard Elec Man quietly.

"Oh, gee, really? Sorry about that," said Proto Man, whipping around to fire at Mega Man.

Mega Man dove out of the way, and fired back, but Proto Man ducked the shot as he darted in close. He grabbed Mega Man by the wrist, then performed a sort of tumble throw that ripped Mega Man off his feet and threw him into one of the bridge towers. Mega Man picked himself up, wincing.

"This isn't your lucky night, Mega twerp," growled a voice behind him.

Guts Man had grabbed the fallen length of steel, swinging it with both hands like a giant club as he bore down on Mega Man. The crossbeam caught Mega Man in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him, then hit him directly on the helmet near his ear, sending sparks across his vision.

Rush came to his master's aid and bit down hard into the unarmored connecting joint of Guts Man's knee before bounding away. Guts Man began hopping on one foot in pain, forgetting he was still carrying a heavy metal crossbeam. He lost balance, and fell, the crossbeam crashing on top of him.

"Good boy, Rush," muttered Mega Man as he turned his attention to Cut Man.

Between the four Robot Masters, two bomber robots, Roll, and Rush, the battle grew steadily more chaotic. Mega Man noticed Elec Man had several more opportunities to deliver a finishing blow to either himself and Roll, but Proto Man miraculously seemed to materialize in the way every time, even once managing to 'accidentally' sabotage three consecutive _Thunder Beams_ as he maneuvered around the battlefield. This seemed to exasperate Elec Man, who seemed to be simultaneously trying to outdo Proto Man and end the fight quickly while staying as far away from the sides of the bridge and the water below as possible, yet spared Mega Man and Roll from falling instantly in battle.

Despite this, Mega Man realized fighting Bomb Man and Elec Man for the third time in a row that night was pushing his luck too far. Adding Cut Man, Guts Man, _and_ Proto Man to the mix was too much.

"We gotta call off the fight!" he told Roll. "There's too many of them and I'm almost out of plasma power."

"What? No way! We can take them!" Roll protested.

There was a piercing howl. Rush had been hit by a _Hyper Bomb_ and had been catapulted off the bridge. At the same time, she and Mega Man were forced to dodge as four _Rolling Cutters,_ a _Thunder Beam_ , another Hyper Bomb, and several plasma blasts pelted toward them in a barrage of lights, sound, and debris.

Roll attempted to retaliate by firing a _circular saw,_ but her utility arm just made an empty puttering sound.

"Okay…maybe we should leave," Roll admitted, her utility arm reforming into a hand.

At that moment, the crossing signals at the beginning of the bridge began flashing, their boom barriers dropping. Mega Man and Roll suddenly remembered at the same time that the bridge they were standing on was actually a drawbridge, and was about to go up, cornering them with the Bad-bots. They hastily ran up the raising side before its grade got to steep to climb, plasma blasts and _Thunder Beams_ narrowly missing their heels.

They stood on the middle edge of the bridge, which was now raised toward the sky. It was too far to jump to the other side. In the black river below, a barge drifted through, looking like a toy boat from this height. Mega Man could just make out a red dot in the water that was Rush paddling toward one of the river banks in its wake.

They had little time to contemplate their options. Elec Man and Proto Man were still firing at them, forcing them to duck low. Cut Man and Bomb Man were waiting as reserves; both of Cut Man's hands were replaced with _Rolling Cutters,_ which he snipped like crab claws, Bomb Man tossed a Hyper Bomb up and down in one hand. Guts Man was scaling the bridge like a cliffside, punching holes through concrete for holds as he climbed.

Using the last of his energy, Mega Man blasted Guts Man in the chest, who tumbled down like a gigantic boulder. The other four robots scrambled to the sides of the bridge to avoid being bowled over.

"This is where we get off!" Mega Man said to Roll, pointing to the barge below. "Looks like a soft landing…"

They stepped off the bridge, the chill night air rushing past them as they fell, and plunged with a dull squish into cold, damp garbage.

* * *

"You know, if we didn't fight so much, they probably wouldn't have gotten away," said Proto Man to Elec Man with a rueful smile, letting his blaster reform into a hand as he looked down at the barge.

"You wanted them to get away," Elec Man replied dryly, dusting off his shoulder.

* * *

"I don't know who got the worst end of this deal, Wily's bots or us," said Mega Man, pulling a slimy banana peel off his helmet.

He looked back up at the bridge. He could hear car doors slamming closed, then the headlights of the van revved back down the bridge, and went down another way, out of sight.

* * *

As the van merged on street running parallel to the river, Elec Man leaned toward Proto Man from the back seat on the passenger side.

"Proto Man…take a look at this."

Proto Man glanced momentarily away from the road down at what Elec Man was holding from the corner of his eye. It looked a football that had been struck by lightning, a charred propeller sticking out of its middle. "…What is it?"

"One of Tom Light's inventions. I intercepted it back at the bridge. They were tracking us." He turned it over, and pointed at serifed letter etched in golden paint. "Why 'K'? It's not one of Light's initials…"

"Nope, his middle name is Xavier."

Dr. Wily wheeled over from the dream machine's computer console to see what they were talking about, and yanked the device out of Elec Man's hand. "It's 'K' for 'Know-it-All'," he sneered, eyeing it with contempt. He shoved it back into at Elec Man. "Make sure they can no longer track us with this junk."

* * *

Mega Man and Roll returned to the laboratory so Mega Man could recharge and Roll could restock her weapons. It was now four o'clock in the morning, and Dr. Light was waiting for them in his slippers, a huge mug of coffee in his hand.

Rush leaped onto a lab table and lay down obediently Dr. Light slid off his helmet and hooked a computer cord into his cranial circuits.

"Ah, clever boy, Rush! Taking pictures of the inside of Wily's van," Dr. Light said cheerfully he hooked the other end of the cable into his supercomputer. Rush wagged his tail.

Dr. Light sat down at the keyboard and pulled up the images Rush had captured on one of the three overhead monitors. They were orange and skeletal, like an x-ray image, and depicted multiple cross sections of a funny machine with four arms sticking out of each side.

Mega Man peered over Dr. Light's shoulder. "Hey, I remember this thing…back before I became Mega Man, this was the device I used to distract Proto Man and Wily so Roll and I could escape Skull Fortress."

Dr. Light nodded. "Just as I suspected. I've seen early prototypes for this as well, Dr. Wily has indeed succeeded in creating his 'dream machine.'" Dr. Light paused, stroking his beard in thought. "Now, to build a machine to counteract it…"

Roll was looking at a map of the city on the monitor next to Dr. Light's. "Rats. The searcher bots surveillance feed went dead ten minutes ago. Wily must have figured out how to scramble their trackers. We'll have to find them all over again!"

Mega Man looked over at the map, which had a blue line zig-zagging through the city, marking the path Dr. Wily's van had taken before the searcher bots had still cut off. "Wily could have only have been heading for one of three places…" he mused, scrolling the map outside the city, "…And the biggest target is…" he stopped scrolling, taking a step back from the computer. _"…The Space Research Center!"_

Dr. Light stood up, looking at them anxiously. "There's a rocket launch to the international space station in the morning!"

Mega Man looked over at Roll, who nodded. "We won't let him interfere, will we?"

**_To be continued…_ **


	13. Mega Dreams, Part 3

Everyone but Dr. Wily was interested in hearing about the second dream experience. Cut Man and Guts Man recounted boastfully how they had bullied the Chief of Police as though this were something real they had managed outside the dream. Neither of them seemed to have noticed that Chief Fibes had mistaken them for Syndicate henchmen, a fact that Proto Man decided to keep to himself.

Their destination lay about an hour north of the city, but Proto Man cut that time in half by taking off-road shortcuts. When they finally reached the outskirts of the compound, he drove up to a super steel gate large enough for trucks to transport space shuttles through, and they all got out.

A tall, chainlink fence surrounded the Space Research Center. The shadowy silhouettes of giant satellite dishes loomed out of the night sky, and bright floodlights lit the ground. They could hear voices and light activity echoing from the launch pad.

Dr. Wily strode up to the gate's keypad and punched in the string of numbers from Mayor Hill's fax. Proto Man waited at his side, carrying a small device that looked like an open suitcase filled with circuitry, a small parabolic antenna attached to the bottom of its lid.

"This is all too easy, thanks to the mayor's security code," Dr. Wily sneered to them as he punched in the string of numbers from Mayor Hill's fax. "All my hard work and genius is about to pay off!" He made a sweeping bow as the door slid open, his hands swinging grandly.

Proto Man somewhat doubted they had needed the Mayor Hill's security code to get into the Space Research Center, which was only guarded by humans and lousy robo-drones, but did not say this aloud. Dr. Wily gave him a piercing look and pointed importantly toward the shuttle launch.

"Get this portable dream transmitter into the cargo bay of that rocket."

"No problemo, Doc."

Dr. Wily nodded to him, then climbed back into the van the Robot Masters turned to follow. Proto Man scanned the Space Research Center grounds, then caught Elec Man's attention before he followed Dr. Wily back into the van, waving him over. "C'mon, I'm gunna need Smith's help."

* * *

Elec Man didn't complain much as he and Proto Man disguised themselves as human technicians and snuck into the Space Research Center (Proto Man kept him in a good mood by keeping his mouth shut and following his directions). These were the parts of Dr. Wily's missions that Elec Man understood: hacking through security clearances, disabling cameras and other surveillance technology, bluffing their way onto the rocket, then planting the dream machine without either the real technicians or astronauts noticing—they had accomplished all of this and returned back to the spot where Dr. Wily was waiting for them within ten minutes.

They went behind the van to change out of their disguises.

"…What's a dream like?" Elec Man asked out of the blue, shrugging out of the gray jumpsuit he had been wearing over his armor.

This was an odd question for Elec Man to ask. Though Elec Man was much more human than most Robot Masters, he never showed interest in human behavior like dreaming.

"Just a bunch of random images that barely make any sense when you're awake. Hard to describe," said Proto Man. He tossed the cap and shades he had been wearing on top of his own jumpsuit, which was lying in a heap on the ground, then put on his helmet. "I could talk to Wily about upgrading you to sleep if you want."

 _"_ _No thanks,"_ Elec Man said quickly, replacing his own helmet. "It's a waste of time for a robot. You should consider upgrading to _not_ need sleep."

"I've considered. By the way, I noticed the security commander's name is 'Smith,' just like your bespectacled alter ego. Any relation?" Proto Man teased.

"Of course not," Elec Man replied sniffily as though the thought of him having relations were ridiculous.

They climbed back into the van. Dr. Wily was delighted with their timing; they were now ahead of schedule.

They drove off through the surrounding woods and into a deep mountainside cave—one of the last remaining tunnels left over from Dr. Wily's Tunneling Machine the year before. The Skulker was parked in back.

"All we have to do now is wait for the morning watch," remarked Cut Man as he, Guts Man, Bomb Man, and Elec Man began unloading the van. Dr. Wily sat down at the dream machine's computer, raising the parabolic antennae on the van's roof.

"Hey, what if my bro shows up?" Proto Man asked hopefully.

"Ohhh…we'll be ready for the blue dweeb," said Dr. Wily, punching in a sequence of commands. "I'm sending you into the security commander's dreams."

Dr. Wily seemed to think this was a good compromise of giving Proto Man something to do without actually having him fight Mega Man. While Proto Man didn't agree, he couldn't help but be curious about entering a dream. Cut Man and Guts Man seemed to really enjoy it.

He looked over at the dream machine. "How much control do you have over these dreams?"

"Very little." Dr. Wily waved a hand at the dream machine's complicated computer readout of overlapping jagged lines. "What I see here are the dreamer's emotions and relative brain activity. I can cause them to have a nightmare, making them feel powerless and easier to control, but it is the dreamer's subconscious that paints and controls their dream. In the Mayor's dream, Cut Man and Guts Man took on the form of his parents, and in the Police Chief's dream, they became frightening robots, unlike their usual blundering selves. Those forms were projected upon them by the dreamer's subconscious. However, I can influence the form that the transported robot takes upon entering the dream instead of letting the dream take over."

At this last remark, Dr. Wily grinned wickedly, every tooth gleaming in the dull glow from the computer display. "Nightmares are fed on feelings of intense guilt, dread, or _anger_. I know for certain Paul Smith was part of the defense force that opposed us when your traitorous brother helped invade Washington D.C. For his dream, you will appear as Mega Man…you can take it from there."

* * *

Security Commander Paul Smith lay on a military-style metal twin bed with freshly laundered sheets and wool blanks, snoring loudly. He lived in a log cabin on the Space Research Center's property. The single-room living space was orderly, sparse, and modest, with a laser rifle leaned against the wall under a window (its safety on), a shelf full of history books and biographies (and some of his favorite mystery novels), a large communications radio on his nightstand, and a pair of sturdy rubber boots at his bedside.

A glowing violet fleck zoomed through the window, circled his bed twice, then dove toward his temple. His snores were interrupted as he shook his head as though a bothersome firefly had just landed on it.

* * *

Proto Man was floating in infinite sky—an infinite sky at sunset, surrounding him completely like a globe. It was both impossible yet strikingly beautiful. Stars winked up from a sea of midnight blues below him, golds and fuchsias streaked together like a vibrant watercolor painting above him, A blend of tangerine orange, bright pink, and deep scarlet swirled together behind him, and dark purple clouds partially covered a brilliant red sun ahead of him.

This was fantastic. A cool wind pushed around Proto Man, whipping up his scarf. There was something familiar about this place, he was sure he had a dream like it before. He always liked flying in dreams.

Unfortunately, he couldn't waste time enjoying this sensation, he needed to find the security commander. Despite the lack of ground, he could feel an ominous rumbling reverberate through his titanium skeleton like an earth tremor preceding a volcanic eruption. It seemed to be coming from a nearby cloud. Without really thinking about it, Proto Man soared into it.

At first, cloudy purple mist enveloped him, completely obscuring his vision with darkness. But then he began to feel a flat plain solidify beneath his feet, and shapes slowly came into focus around him.

He seemed to be in an endless room—Proto Man could see no walls, only a tiled floor below and the steel rafters of a metal roof far above, like that of a warehouse or hangar. The purplish mist covered every edge in the distance. All around him, stacks of computer equipment rose in tall, dark columns glittering with rows of indicator lights. It was almost like looking at a city full of skyscrapers at night—if skyscrapers were built in a topsy-turvy manner using stories of different sizes and all rotated a different way.

So now he was in the dream. Proto Man looked down at his hands—which were still red. Dr. Wily's disguise hadn't worked. But then he spotted his reflection on the glassy surface of a computer display, only it wasn't _his_ reflection, it was _Mega Man's._ Proto Man looked back down at his armor, which had changed blue, his scarf had disappeared, and his communicator style had changed to two extruding buttons. _Weird._

Proto Man looked back up at his reflection and quashed an automatic impulse to lower Mega Man's visor. Mega Man never wore his down. Still, something had been off about the reflection; Mega Man's blue eyes had lacked the warm brightness Proto Man usually saw on Mega Man's face.

Proto Man could hear movement up ahead. Commander Smith was roaming from tower to tower as though performing an inspection, murmuring to himself and making notes on a clipboard with the air of someone whose joy in life was self-discipline and a regulated daily routine. He looked much like he did outside the dream: he was in his middle ages, bald, had square shoulders, a strong chin, a powerfully built body, and wore a crisp uniform decorated with military ribbons.

Commander Smith started as Proto Man approached. "Mega Man? Wh…what do you want?"

Proto Man smiled at him. "I'm going to destroy this research center, just for the _fun_ of it," he said in Mega Man's voice.

"N-no! No, you can't do that!" stammered Commander Smith, dropping his clipboard, which phased soundlessly through the floor like a ghost.

"Just try and stop me!"

Proto Man gave a line of computer towers a shove. They toppled one by one like dominos with thunderous _clunks_ forever on into the distance. Then Proto Man began firing at some of the shorter towers, Mega Man's golden plasma bursting the equipment like gray boxy balloons. Other towers began to glow with a warm neon red light, like the heating coil of an oven. The temperature in the room rose, and buttons, dials, and knobs began melting off their instruments. A clock face slid down a pyramid of equipment, cascading smoothly over each edge as though made of slippery rubber.

Commander Smith watched the destruction in horror, frantically attempting to scoop the melted computer controls off the floor with his fingers and reattach them to the equipment. When this failed, he turned on Proto Man, his eyes narrowed to slits. "I will, I'll stop you, I'll-I'll destroy you on sight!"

* * *

"Stop….Mega Man…destroy…Mega Man…" Commander Smith growled into his pillow, a fist clenching his sheets into a knot. He rolled over and jerked upright with a snort, his eyes half open, but remained sound asleep as he rubbed his head. "Destroy…Mega Man…"

He reached for the communicator at his beside and switched on its receiver.

* * *

An alarm rang across the Space Research Center. Throughout the security compound, reserve troops were jumping blearily out of their beds.

"What's happening? Is it Wily?" asked a private, sliding into his uniform.

"No, Mega Man!" replied his bunkmate as he tugged on his boots.

_"_ _What?"_

Outside, gray and teal clad robo-soldiers with canary yellow visors marched toward the Research Center's perimeter as Commander Smith's voice boomed over the loudspeakers.

"This is the security commander! Destroy Mega Man on sight! Repeat, destroy Mega Man! Destroy Mega Man! Destroy Mega Man!"

"Is this some kind of…drill?" one of the privates asked a sergeant uncertainly as Commander Smith continued to intone 'Destroy Mega Man' over and over again.

"Beats me," replied the sergeant as he waved the robo-soldiers into position. "Don't forget what happened in Washington D.C.!"

A corporal pointed up to the sky. "Lookout, here he comes!"

* * *

Mega Man headed toward the Space Research Center alone on Rush's jet. Roll stayed back to help Dr. Light with a device to foil Dr. Wily's dream machine, though she reassured Mega Man she'd catch up as soon as she was done. In the meantime, Mega Man would hold off Dr. Wily's robots for as long as he could.

The eastern horizon was beginning to turn a rosy hue by the time Mega Man reached his destination. The Space Research Center lay below, a giant rectangle of concrete with short gray buildings. It was much smaller than the space facility that Mega Man had visited in Florida last year, and the rocket that stood on its jet burners at its heart, the _Agamemnon_ , was not nearly as big or expensive as the _Icarus._

Mega Man felt a sinking sensation somewhere in his chest as he noticed the sound of an alarm drifting upward. "C'mon, boy, something tells me we have no time to lose!" he urged Rush.

Rush glided downward, skimming over the top of the chain linked fence surrounding the Space Research Center, then came to a stop midair as a troop of robo-soldiers rushed up to meet them.

"We have to see your security commander right away, it's urgent!" Mega Man called down to them.

But the robo-soldiers didn't respond. They had taken a defensive formation, their laser rifles pointed up at him.

"Destroy Mega Man!" commanded a mustached sergeant from behind them.

"What the…?" Mega Man exclaimed as Rush rocketed back into the sky, laser blasts flashing all around them. What were they shooting at _him_ for?

There was no time for this. Mega Man leaped off Rush, landing on the frostbitten ground with a clang, and held up his hands over his head.

The robo-soldiers surrounded him immediately, their laser rifles pointed at his chest, but they held their fire.

"Mega Man, you're under arrest!" barked the sergeant.

Rush landed next to Mega Man, bearing his teeth ferociously at the robo-soldiers.

"I've gotta let them arrest me, boy. I don't wanna harm any humans," Mega Man told him somberly.

Rush stopped growling and gave a soft, confused whine, hanging his head in submission.

Mega Man knew the feeling. He let one of the human privates click a pair of handcuffs around his wrists as a jeep drove up to them. A robo-soldier nudged him toward the back seat with the butt of its laser rifle.

Something was definitely up, but since Mega Man had peacefully surrendered, the security forces looked willing to postpone the 'destroy' part of their orders.

 _At least I might get to see the security commander,_ Mega Man thought wryly as he stepped into the jeep, Rush scrambling in behind him, —o _r slip away while their guard's down._ He peered around covertly. Many of the soldiers were returning to their duties, some scratching their heads at him before being told off by their superiors for slacking off.

* * *

Bomb Man crawled army style out of a frosty bush, carefully attached a sticky bomb to the bumper of the car, then crawled quickly away again.

* * *

The jeep took off down one of the concrete lanes that wrapped around the outskirts of the research center. The driver, a human corporal, was as stiff faced as the robo-soldier in the passenger seat. Neither of them had said a word to Mega Man.

Mega Man eyed them both, wondering if he should try making a break for it now, then froze, listening. Somewhere behind him, he could make out a small steady beep that seemed to be coming from the jeep. It sounded vaguely reminiscent of something, like a countdown on a timer…

"Do you hear what I hear boy?" he whispered. Rush sniffed the air, then growled, his ears flattening. This confirmed Mega Man's worst suspicion.

Mega Man lunged for the steering wheel, knocking the robo-drone out over the passenger side. "Pull over!"

"You're not making this easy on yourself, Mega Man!" growled the corporal, wrestling for control of the steering wheel, but Mega Man was much stronger. He knocked the human out as well (who fell safely in a trained tumble) then pointed the car toward a ditch before he and Rush bailed themselves.

A second later, the jeep blew apart, its tires scattering.

"Bomb Man almost got us that time!" said Mega Man, breaking through his handcuffs as though they were made of paper links.

He heard shouting behind him, and they took off, racing for the nearest hiding place they could find. Then Mega Man heard the sound he had been dreading most of all, and stopped in his tracks, Rush's ears perking up. They looked up and saw the _Agamemnon_ blast off into the morning sky, the ground rumbling in its wake.

"We're too late, Rush," murmured Mega Man. He paused, thinking. "I can still get to the security commander and have him warn the space crew."

* * *

Mega Man snuck toward command center, carefully avoiding all robo-soldier patrols, who were still on high alert looking for him.

He found Commander Smith alone in the control room. He was watching the rocket leave Earth's atmosphere from one of the overhead monitors, looking very undignified in an undershirt and boxer shorts, but glanced up at the sound of the door sliding open.

"Mega Man!" Commander Smith exclaimed, reaching for an alarm on the computer console.

Mega Man darted between Commander Smith and the computer console. "Commander, wait!" he yelled, grabbing Commander Smith by his wrists and pulling him away from the computer. "It's me, Mega Man! Why did you order your forces to attack me?"

Commander Smith shook his head, snapping out of the daze, and Mega Man released him. "I…I dreamed that you were going to destroy the center…it was so real."

"That wasn't me!" said Mega Man in aggravation. "It's a Dr. Wily plot!"

Commander Smith was looking at Mega Man suspiciously, the dream still obviously lingering in his mind. Mega Man looked back at him thoughtfully. Security Commander Paul Smith…now why did that name sound familiar?

Then he remembered with a pang of shame.

"Um…Commander, you weren't at Washington D.C. back in July of last year…were you?" he asked tentatively.

Commander Smith responded with stony silence as he opened a storage locker and put on a spare work coat. It appeared he hadn't quite forgiven Mega Man for his part in Dr. Wily's attack on Washington D.C.

Guiltily, Mega Man realized he hadn't thought about that in a _long_ time, as though it was part of a different life. He felt like he had matured a great deal as a hero since then, though he realized not everyone in the world would know this. The official story went that Dr. Wily had temporarily reprogrammed him, but there was still some lingering mistrust. In fact, it had been Senator King who had helped save his reputation with the public.

Shoving this out of his mind, Mega Man plowed on with the mission. "We have to warn the space crew not to go to sleep!"

Commander Smith turned toward the computer console. Thankfully, he seemed willing to put his distrust aside for the moment to focus on the crisis at hand. "I-I can't! They're passing through a radiation belt! All communication is blacked out."

"Shit." Mega Man lifted up his communicator and called Dr. Light. "Wily put one of his dream machines on the rocket!" he blurted out immediately. Commander Smith hovered over him as he talked, still looking bewildered.

"Is he trying to get control of the space crew?" Mega Man heard Roll ask Dr. Light.

"Precisely, though I very much doubt the rocket is still heading to Space Station 1," Dr. Light said grimly. "I believe it is now headed to Space Station 1's smaller predecessor, the _Phobetor,_ which is currently unoccupied."

"An easy target for the sleeping space crew," said Mega Man.

"But why?" asked Roll.

"After studying Dr. Wily's first dream machine, I found its biggest flaw is its range," explained Dr. Light, "That is, the machine must be close by its target before it can be used to enter dreams. To rectify this shortcoming, I fear Wily is planning to use his second dream machine to turn the _Phobetor_ into a dream _satellite."_

Dr. Light paused to let this information sink in. _"_ The dream machine on earth will act as a gateway into a dream, but the dream satellite will amplify its reach. Dr. Wily will effectively be able to teleport his robots into any sleeping human's dream anywhere, _including_ Space Station 1, without ever physically leaving Skull Fortress."

"Just what we need, a way for Dr. Wily to visit us while we're sleeping," murmured Mega Man.

"It's much worse than that," said Dr. Light. "The second machine can also link dreamer's minds together, therefore allowing him to target dozens, possibly even hundreds of people with the same shared nightmare."

This was beginning to make Mega Man's head hurt, but he trusted Dr. Light to know what he was talking about. He pictured being trapped with the World's leaders in his worst nightmare now ruled by Dr. Wily's robots. Meanwhile, those left awake would have to deal with the consequences of dreamers enacting Dr. Wily's orders.

"Going into space is never easy," said Mega Man finally. "Can we get the Robot International Police to help like we did last time on Space Station 1?"

"Yeah, this should be a cinch for them, they don't even need to fight any of Dr. Wily's robots!" put in Roll.

"I'm afraid not," said Dr. Light. "The _Phobetor_ is American, and R.I.P. has no jurisdiction on American property. They would either President Lemming's permission or just cause to board. But even with R.I.P.'s aid, it will take time to form and execute a plan to dismantle the dream satellite without harming the astronauts. By then, I calculate Dr. Wily will have been in operation for several hours."

"And Dr. Wily can cause a lot of mayhem in a few hours," muttered Mega Man.

"What are we gunna do, Dr. Light?" asked Roll.

"What Wily least expects, stop his plan from within the dream."

Mega Man blinked at this, but Dr. Light continued on.

"Thanks to the pictures Rush took and Roll's help, I've been able to build a pairing device for Dr. Wily's dream machine. Mega Man, I'm sending Roll with my dream machine."

"Mega, I'll get us into the space crew's dreams with Wily's bots faster than you can say 'sweet dreams,'" said Roll.

"You better hurry," said Mega Man. "And Dr. Light? I know I don't need to say this, but whatever you do, don't go to sleep until we give the all clear!"

* * *

Shuttle Captain Carroll and his co-pilot Baum were the only two astronauts aboard the _Agamemnon_. They were in charge of transporting supplies to Space Station 1. They made this routine voyage every four months or so, and neither one of them were too concerned about the temporary blackout in communication. After leaving Earth's orbit, Carroll switched to autopilot, leaning back in his chair to talk to Baum.

Unknown to them, a sleeping gas, timed to release once autopilot was initiated, began mixing into the oxygen intake of their space suits. Within seconds they both nodded off peacefully in their chairs.

* * *

Guts Man moved the dream machine outside the van to hook into the Skullker's backup generator.

Dr. Wily checked his watch. "The astronauts will be asleep by now," he muttered to the robots. "It's time to transport you into their shared dream."

He opened a picture of the _Phobetor_ space station on the dream machine's computer monitor _._ Unlike the golden donut shape of Space Station 1, which could play host to a colony of humans, the _Phobetor_ was small and could only house three at a time. It formed a square with four chambers connected by boxy tunnels, a set of solar panel 'wings' at two of its corners.

"Your next task will be to coerce the astronauts into this space station," Dr. Wily instructed. "Once the dream machine is aboard, I will begin my last act and create nightmares the world will never forget." He laughed wickedly.

Cut Man and Guts Man stepped forward importantly and took their places in front of the dream machine. With a small shrug (and a nod from Dr. Wily), Proto Man joined them.

Dr. Wily glared pointedly at Bomb Man and Elec Man.

"What, us too?" asked Bomb Man, gesturing at himself and Elec Man.

"Yes, you _too_ , I have no use for you out here."

Bomb Man and Elec Man joined Proto Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man at dream machine's electrode arms (Cut Man Guts Man shuffled together at the same arm to make room). Bomb Man looked down at his arm with doubt uncertainty, Elec Man with a shadow of mingled scorn and trepidation. Dr. Wily powered up the dream machine, then with a flash, they were all gone.

* * *

The dream machine aboard the _Agamemnon's_ cargo bay lit up, a small violet flicker of light generating at the small parabolic dish at its top, then zooming toward the cockpit of the shuttle. It paused between the two sleeping astronauts, splitting like an amoeba, before vanishing into their temples.

* * *

Now adept at dream logic, Guts Man and Cut Man lead the way through a poison green mist into a wide plain of purple sand dotted with sharp bluish-green crystal formations sticking out of the ground like shards of thick glass. A stone castle sat on a dune in its center. Cut Man and Guts Man beckoned them toward one of the crystals, and they gathered around to check out their dream reflections.

…Not that there was much need for this, they were all nearly identical in this dream.

They had become shrouded in burgundy robes belted by a loose black cord, a pointed cowl covering their heads. Each robe had an embattled-edged trim of a different color: Proto Man's was red, Cut Man's white, Guts Man's yellow, Bomb Man's orange, and Elec Man's was black. This was useful for telling each other apart, as their faces were completely shadowed except for the gleam of the Robot Master's eyes or the soft reflection from Proto Man's visor.

"Looks like we're some kind of magic user," murmured Cut Man.

"That might make things interesting," said Proto Man.

Elec Man was not impressed. He kept rolling up the oversized sleeves, which stubbornly fell back over his hands each time. "This is asinine," he complained. His pale eyes glared at Proto Man from the shadow of his hood as though this were Proto Man's fault.

"You asked what a dream was like," pointed out Proto Man, "And your alternative was hanging out with Wily in a cave for an hour."

Bomb Man was scratching his head. "So you have a dream like this, like, every night?" he asked Proto Man.

"…No."

"I guess I'm kinda confused. I always thought when humans went to sleep; their minds did things like logging the day's memories into an archive or something. This is _weird._ We're in a purple dessert, there are two red suns, the sky is green, and there is a castle."

"Makes more sense then the last dream I was in," remarked Proto Man. "We're in space-medieval-adventure-land. You know, just like your typical roleplaying video game. The astronauts must play _Dungeons and Space Lizards_ or _Star Wizard Quest_ or something, though the castle reminds me of Fright Island."

 _"_ Like w _here?"_ Elec Man asked.

"Fright Island. You know, in Fun World. Oh, never mind…forgot you said you didn't want to know about that."

Cut Man and Guts Man had already trudged up the sandy dune to the castle.

"Hurry up, the astronauts are in here!" Guts Man called bossily from the drawbridge.

"I must be dreaming too if Cut Man and Guts Man are heading this mission," snickered Proto Man to Bomb Man and Elec Man.

The inside of the castle was a twisting labyrinth of endless corridors and railed staircases that went in all directions (including upside-down) but lead nowhere. The air felt stuffy and recycled, like that on an airplane. Mounted Erlenmeyer flasks filled with glowing liquids lit the walls of iridescent bricks. They headed toward a distant murmur that sounded like the muffled countdown from the launchpad, though they couldn't make out the numbers.

They found the astronauts in a lower dungeon littered with broken crystals and splintered wooden planks. Carroll and Baum were wearing ragged peasant clothes, their hands bound together with rusty manacles.

"We gotta get out of here!" said Baum urgently, his eyes traveling up the long chains hanging down from the dark shadows of a faraway ceiling that couldn't be seen and might not even exist.

"But…w-w-where is here?" stammered Carroll, looking up at the dungeon's windows, which (though on interior walls) showed a black void. Occasionally, empty space suits drifted eerily by, their bodies flat, but their mirrored visors turned toward them as though looking through the bars at them.

They caught sight of the robed figures approaching them and started, their manacles clinking.

 _"You_ are in the castle of Lord Wily," said Proto Man. "And you will do as _we_ command, _or else."_

Proto Man lifted his arm and a bolt of light shot out of his sleeve at them. The astronauts flinched, and there was an explosion of smoke. When it cleared, a pair of giant hissing serpents were coiled around them, one green with orange stripes, the other a black diamondback.

"We'll do whatever you say!" stammered Carroll as the diamondback bared three-inch long fangs and snapped at his face. Baum was making muffled whimpers as his serpent tightened its grip.

"Of course you will…" said Proto Man smoothly, "…You are our space slaves now."

There was some truth to this: Dr. Wily planned to keep the astronauts dreaming with sleep gas for as long as he controlled the dream satellite.

* * *

Dr. Wily waited eagerly at the dream machine's computer console, watching the read out from the astronaut's combined dream zig-zag across the screen. He had detailed siege plans outlined in a bundle of papers lying next to him, lists of critical targets and objectives. But a part of himself couldn't wait to use the dream satellite to torment Light with a dream about failing all his college exams, losing his doctorate, and being forced to sell celebrity gossip magazine subscriptions at a telemarketing agency. He checked his watch again.

Not long after, the space crew sent him a message on the communicator Proto Man and Elec Man had planted in the cargo hold. They had docked with the _Phobetor_ and were unloading.

"Exxxcellent!" Dr. Wily said aloud, spinning in his chair. "My portable dream machine is now aboard the space station!"

It wouldn't be long now until he could activate his dream satellite.

* * *

Roll arrived at the base a half hour after Mega Man's call, Dr. Light's dream machine tied to the back of the skycycle. They set up it up inside the security center with Commander Smith's help. It was clear he had no idea what they were up to. He kept shooting the dream machine skeptical looks, but kept any questions he had to himself.

Mega Man himself wasn't completely certain what they were doing. He stood in front of one of the dream machine's metal arms (which looked awfully like a large electrode), feeling impatient yet stupid at the same time.

"Hit it, Roll! They've already got a head start on us!" he said.

"You'll have to start it up for us, commander," said Roll to Commander Smith. "It's all ready to go, just hit the red button over there." She pointed to the machine's computer.

"After we leave, shut this machine down. We want to come out of the dream as the same exit point as the Bad-bots," said Mega Man.

"And we want none of the Bad-bots trying to escape here!" said Roll.

Commander Smith nodded as Roll took her place next to Mega Man.

"Nervous about this?" Mega Man asked her.

Roll shrugged. "Dad said it's safe."

The electrode arms lit up, and a fork of violet light lashed out at them. The world turned white, a weightless feeling overtaking them as their bodies dematerialized.

* * *

A moment later, the blinding whiteness vanished from Mega Man's vision. He was suspended peacefully in what appeared to be an endless sea, perfectly teal, perfectly cool, perfectly still. Mega Man felt calmness sweep over him. He always liked the feeling of floating in water. He began making slow revolutions, looking around, unsure what to do. There seemed to be no up or down here. He wasn't even sure what direction the light was coming from, each direction seemed to end in the exact same shade of teal mist.

He could see Rush next to him, bobbing upside down like a jellyfish, and Roll, her blonde ponytail drifting about her face in a cloud. She was looking around too, but then pointed up toward a faint circle of light rippling above them, like the reflection of a full moon on a lake. They swam toward it. As they drew closer, the water seemed to grow darker, then—

Solid ground rushed up under their feet, thrusting them up through the surface. They stumbled, disoriented, and blinked at their new surroundings.

They seemed to have suddenly transported into the lowest level of an old castle made of iridescent bricks. Ankle deep water flooded the floor.

They all looked down through the water, trying to figure out whether the solid stone floor had risen out of the depths of the endless sea, or if the endless sea had drained down into the stone floor, but then they noticed that the reflections on the water didn't belong to them.

"What—" Mega Man began.

He didn't have a chance to finish. The reflections seemed to bounce out of the water onto them, and he, Roll, and Rush became mirror images of the strange figures in the water. It was a disconcerting feeling.

Roll started. "Whoa, what just happened?"

"Not sure…I think we now see ourselves the way the dreamers will see us," said Mega Man uncertainly, "—Though don't expect anything to make complete sense in a _dream."_

Mega Man looked like a cross between a knight and a Roman gladiator, with golden armor, plated pteruges around his waist, and a lance in one of his hands. He ran a hand through his helmet's plume, feeling the coarse bristles that stuck out of it like a broom head. A slotted visor kept falling over his eyes.

Roll grinned Mega Man's appearance. She had twin floor length braids, wore fur-trimmed leather armor with a horned helmet that looked vaguely alien in origin. She looked down at the large double-bladed battle ax and spiked buckler she was now carrying. "Cool!"

But Rush had changed the most. He had become an enormous robo-charger with golden armor (matching Mega Man's) and a midnight blue caparison embroidered with stars. Rush whinnied, inspecting his long slender legs and their bucket-sized hooves, then clopped around in circles trying to look at his long, swishing tail, splashing a great deal of water everywhere. It was the most undignified Mega Man had ever seen a horse act.

"It's okay boy, it's not real, it's just a dream," said Mega Man, catching Rush's bridle and patting his long neck reassuringly.

But Rush didn't seem too bothered by his temporary change in species. He gave Mega Man's face a huge, horsely lick.

"That a boy," said Mega Man. He and Roll climbed onto his back. "Ready Rush?"

Rush let out a nicker, which Mega Man supposed was his way of saying yes, then broke into a very clumsy, dog-like trot.

* * *

The drum of hooves echoed through the dungeon.

"What's that?" Cut Man asked sharply, looking away from the astronauts, who were huddled in the center of the dungeon, the serpents squeezing them slowly.

Proto Man shrugged. "Part of the dream, right?" he answered, unperturbed.

_Crack._

A wall burst open behind them. A golden charger dashed into the dungeon, a lance-bearing knight and an ax-wielding warrior riding on its back.

"Think again, Proto Man!" said the knight as he and the warrior slid off the charger's back. The knight pushed up his visor and bowed at them. " _Sir_ Mega Man to you!"

Proto Man sighed. "What a dweeb." He was beginning to see Dr. Wily's dream plot from Elec Man's perspective. He didn't bother asking how Mega Man and Roll had gotten here, because he didn't care.

Mega Man threw his lance at the serpents binding the astronauts. The lance grazed across both of them, and the serpents disintegrated in a flash of golden light, leaving a glowing number **50** in both of their places.

* * *

Another lance appeared in Mega Man's hand, causing him to start in surprise.

"Roll, I think we have magic here!" he called over excitedly.

"Why wouldn't we? It's a dream!" she replied, swinging her battle ax in circles. Elec Man and Bomb Man were edging away, looking toward Proto Man for his lead.

Rush bounded noisily to the astronauts, his tongue lolling out as he panted. The astronauts clambered aboard, and Rush bounded off again.

"Not so fast!" said Proto Man, swinging his sleeve toward them. The floor suddenly shifted, and Rush's hooves sunk into it like quicksand. He let out a high-pitched whinny as he sank down to his saddle, the astronauts falling off.

Guts Man towered over Mega Man, raising a large broadsword that had appeared in his hand over his head. "I'm gonna send you to dreamland for good, Mega dweeb!"

Before he could bring it down, Mega Man threw his second lance at the sword. They collied, exploding into smoke, then a scaly green dragon appeared, flapping its leathery wings. It took one look at Guts Man then vomited fire, setting his robes alight. The dragon disappeared in a golden shimmer as the flames raced up Guts Man's robes, completely incinerating them—but there was no sign of Guts Man's body beneath them. Instead, a glowing **1000** floated in his place.

"Oh, um, whoops," said Mega Man, looking at the spot where Guts Man had been. What happened when they got destroyed here? Were they kicked out of the dream…or worse?

His question was answered immediately. There was a flash of light, and Guts Man's robed figure reappeared in the center of the dungeon, fuming indignantly.

"That was a lousy trick!" he growled at Mega Man.

"Umm...what just happened?" asked Bomb Man.

"We can't die in dreams," explained Proto Man simply.

"Oh." Bomb Man paused. "…This place is really weird!"

The astronauts were paying rapt attention to the unfolding chaos, watching the newcomers while rubbing their eyes. "Mega Man?" Baum asked, looking at him.

Mega Man's dream form momentarily shifted from the knight to match his real form (though perhaps a little taller) Realizing what was happening, he called to them desperately. "You're dreaming, _wake up!"_

"They can't, we mixed sleeping gas in their oxygen tanks," said Proto Man. "Don't worry, it'll wear off…when Wily feels like it," he added with a smirk. "Cut Man, Guts Man! Get the prisoners out of here! And make sure they finish their job!"

Cut Man and Guts Man herded the astronauts further into the dungeon, leaving Proto Man, Elec Man, and Bomb Man to fight Mega Man and Roll.

Mega Man was getting the hang of the dream. He threw a lance at Elec Man's feet, a hole appeared underneath him, and Elec Man fell through, leaving behind a **500**. Then Mega Man felt a sharp tug around his ankles. Thorny vines were creeping up his body. He looked over his shoulder, noticing Proto Man was pointing his sleeve at him, then raised his lance at the ceiling. The chains began clinking around, one grabbing Proto Man around the waist and throwing him against the wall. Proto Man made a sweeping gesture at the floor, and rocks began shooting up like tombstones, tripping up Roll and Mega Man.

Elec Man had reappeared and was trying to shoot lighting at Mega Man and Roll, but sometimes instead of lighting, he shot columns of fire, frigid blasts of ice, fireworks shaped like stars and moons, and once a sparkling rainbow beam.

Roll was completely comfortable with her dream weapons. She swung her battle ax at Proto Man and used her buckler to deflect Elec Man's attacks back at him. She played more video games than Mega Man and was wracking up more points as she cut through the Bad-bots, who'd vanish in a puff of smoke, then reappear a few moments later in flash of light.

Rush had sunk so deep into the floor that only his neck stuck out. He snapped with his large rectangular teeth and growled at the Bad-bots, which sounded a bit like a car cranking up in his current form.

Bomb Man just watched everyone, scratching his head. "I don't know how to do this," he muttered to himself. He looked down at his sleeve-covered hand in deep concentration. When nothing happened, he said, "I want a bomb," out loud. A club sandwich appeared in my hand. "No, that's not what I want! _Booommmmb._ " The sandwich was replaced with a sneaker. "I don't get it. I really don't."

"Sometimes the harder you want something in a dream, the harder it is to get it!" Proto Man called over as he dodged glowing green crescents shooting from Roll's battle ax. "Try something else!"

"Okay, how about some dynamite," said Bomb Man to his hand. The sneaker became a flopping tuna fish. "Whatever."

He chucked the tuna fish across the room. It hit Mega Man on his golden shoulder pauldrons and exploded, completely decimated him. A red **YOU LOSE!** in pixelated letters flashed above the smoking ring where Mega Man had been.

"Holy shit!" cried Bomb Man.

A second later, there was a flash of light as Mega Man reappeared, looking disoriented. "What just happened?"

"You were hit by an exploding fish! Pay attention, will ya?" called Roll, slashing Bomb Man in half across the diagonal, winning another thousand points.

Mega Man had to admit…this was kinda fun. Nothing hurt and there were no real consequences. Still, they weren't getting anywhere. He had to try for the astronauts again. But Proto Man and the others wouldn't let him near… _unless…_

As Roll created an earthquake by slamming the butt of her battle ax into the floor, causing Proto Man, Elec Man, and Bomb Man to lose their footing, Mega Man hid behind a pillar, closing his eyes and concentrating very hard. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at an identical duplicate of his dream form.

"Distract them while I go help the astronauts," he whispered to the other knight.

The duplicate nodded at him. Mega Man waited for him to engage the other fighters, then snuck into the other dungeon.

* * *

The adjoining dungeon was a mirror of the first. The astronauts were huddled in its center, a ball and chain shackled to their ankles, cobbling together a twisted hunk of machinery using hammers and nails. This didn't make much sense, but Mega Man had a nasty feeling that their real-life counterparts were making something outside the dream that _did._

Meanwhile, Cut Man and Guts Man were busy tormenting them to make them work faster. Cut Man had his robed arms stretched out to either side while jeweled daggers danced through the air above as though on strings. Occasionally, the daggers dived down and gave the astronauts a sharp jab in the back. Guts Man was throwing chunks of prismatic bricks at them. Though the bricks couldn't actually hurt the astronauts, they still yelped in panic each time one exploded nearby.

As Mega Man approached, both Cut Man and Guts Man's hooded faces snapped toward him.

"Mega Man!" Guts Man boomed.

"Let's cut this short, Mega Man!" said Cut Man, directing a bunch of daggers to swoop down on him like magpies.

Mega Man slid under all of the daggers, getting as close to the astronauts as possible.

"Hey! It's me again, Mega Man!" he called to the astronauts. "Listen to me, none of this is real, you're dreaming!"

The astronauts were rubbing their eyes again, looking at Mega Man as though they suddenly recognized him. Mega Man felt his dream form switch appearance to match his actual form again.

"This is a…dream?" murmured Carroll. He dropped his hammer, giving it a confused look, then reached a hand out tentatively to one of the floating daggers. At his touch, it exploded into mist. A moment of clarity passed between Carroll and Baum.

"It _is_ a dream! We're dreaming!" said Baum excitedly.

"Noooo!" shouted Cut Man in agitation. "Get back to work or I'll slice you into space dust!"

Cut Man raised his arm, and the floating daggers shot toward Mega Man and the astronauts like spears, but Baum raised his own arm and the daggers vanished in small poofs.

Cut Man took a step back, swinging his arms around wildly like windmills. "What's happening? I can't make more blades!" he whined.

Guts Man was struggling to lift a boulder on the floor. It remained stubbornly grounded as if bolted by some force even he couldn't break. "What's happening?" he bellowed angrily. "We're supposed to be in control here!"

"Not anymore! This is our dream!" said Baum triumphantly.

The astronauts advanced on them, the shackles melting away from their ankles. Cut Man and Guts Man staggered backward, tripping on the hems of their robes.

Carroll pointed at them. "—And in _our_ dream, you're nothing but _space slugs."_

A bolt of light shot from his finger. Cut Man and Guts Man shouted in fear, shielding themselves with their arms as the bolt hit them and exploded in a cloud of smoke. Their cries cut off abruptly. When the smoke cleared, two extremely slimy blobs the size of sea cows wriggled in their spot. One was half orange, half white, the other yellow with a tortoiseshell pattern of red and black spots on its back. A pair of eyestalks rose slowly out of their front ends, blinking in shock.

"Nice one!" said Mega Man, giving them a thumbs up. "That'll teach them for invading people's dreams. Now I gotta ask you to do something—and you gotta do it in the real world, not here—go to the cargo bay. Destroy the little flashing machine there, hurry!"

The astronauts' eyes momentarily glazed over. "I think I know exactly what you mean," murmured Carroll.

"Keep an eye on these two, I'll get the rest!" said Mega Man, resuming the form of the knight and turning toward a staircase. "Oh, and make sure they can't change back!" he added as the slugs' eyestalks swiveled toward him. "Keep dreaming that they're stuck like that forever!"

The slugs' shapeless heads stretched out at Mega Man as he ran past, straining to get at him, but they could only ooze forward in agonizingly slow inches. The yellow slug made a squelchy lurch as though trying to lunge, but was only successful at budging an extra inch. It would take them hours to slide across the room. Mega Man was pretty sure if they could still talk, they'd be yelling at him.

* * *

Mega Man returned to the main dungeon just in time to watch Bomb Man destroy his duplicate with an exploding rubber duck. He hastily leaped back into the fray, pretending to have just regenerated. Proto Man and Elec Man were busy fighting Roll, and Bomb Man was still so hopelessly confused that Mega Man felt confident no one had noticed he had left.

Elec Man shot a miniature tornado at Roll, who countered with a sweep of her ax, cutting it in half (50 points). Bomb Man was now throwing exploding porcelain bric-a-brac at Mega Man and Roll while still muttering to himself, "I don't get this, I really don't."

"Hey Proto Man!" Mega Man called, ducking a figurine of a fat cherub.

Proto Man broke off fighting Roll to turn his attention to Mega Man. Mega Man threw his lance at him, but Proto Man dodged, running up a flight of stairs. Mega Man followed close behind when suddenly the stairs became transparent, as though made of dust and sunbeams, and they toppled through.

It was impossible to tell how far they fell, though when they bounced off a stone floor that was springy like a mattress, Mega Man felt they were at least a couple floors down from the main dungeon.

"Nice trick, looks like it's just you and me again, Mega," said Proto Man.

But Mega Man hadn't made the stairs disappear; the dream was becoming unstable. He didn't want to draw Proto Man's attention to this, however. The more time Proto Man wasted fighting him here, the better. He hoped the astronauts were almost finished…

Mega Man threw his lance at Proto Man, but Proto Man fired his blue bolt at it. It exploded like a grenade, raining down fiery comets that Mega Man evaded by darting back and forth. He threw his next lance into the floor. Gravity shifted, and they tumbled down on to the wall.

"When Doc gets his dream satellite going, I'll be sure to visit you in your nightmares, little brother," taunted Proto Man as he stood up, brushing off his robe. The fiery comets were now raining sideways well above their heads.

"You're already in my nightmares," said Mega Man.

Proto Man stiffened, his visor glinting from under the hood. Mega Man knew that his words probably hurt his feelings, but they were true.

They were both worn out and running out of ideas on how to attack each other. Proto Man upped the anti.

"Some knight you are…" he said snidely. "I've always thought you fought more like a _caveman._ " Proto Man pointed his sleeve at him.

At his words, Mega Man felt his shoulders hunch as his form bulked up, heavy brows pushed down over his eyes, his mouth bowed out like an ape, and his hair grew into a thick mane down his back. The lance transformed into a crude spear.

 _Real mature,_ Mega Man thought, looking down at the patches of fur that had developed on the back of his hands. Well, since Proto Man started it—

"Me can play that game too," Mega Man grunted in a gruff voice that muddled the grammar he had been intending to say, throwing his spear. "You act like kid, you be kid."

The spear hit Proto Man in the chest. His cloak unraveled into a ball of string, revealing Proto Man underneath it, but Proto Man began to shrink. His scarf vanished, and his armor was now too big for him, especially his helmet.

Proto Man clutched his helmet and withdrew from Mega Man as though injured, moving off the offensive.

Mega Man wasn't expecting this much of a reaction to his simple jab— after all, they'd all been manipulating the dream in impossible ways since they got here. Then dawning comprehension hit him: he had accidentally tapped into one of Proto Man's own nightmares.

 _Interesting._ "You no like being treated like kid?" he asked as the spear reappeared in his hand.

"No, I don't," said Proto Man. His voice had become youthful, but it still retained a deadly bite.

Proto Man had backed up against a wall. But it wasn't the iridescent brick of the castle. It was smooth and white, and slightly convex. Mega Man recognized it immediately—it was part of the walls from Dr. Light's laboratory. Proto Man reached out a hand behind him to touch it.

"How are you doing this?" he asked with a small quaver.

"I'm not," said Mega Man in his normal voice. He could feel the caveman shape fading from his dream form, but he wasn't becoming the knight again, he was becoming himself. "I think your subconscious is creeping into the dream, Proto."

More walls from Dr. Light's lab were springing up around them. A crack had split down Proto Man's visor. He held onto his helmet more tightly.

Mega Man took a step closer. "So this is one of your nightmares, being trapped at Dr. Light's lab, helpless as a kid…" he said slowly.

He wondered why Proto Man didn't dispel the nightmare. But Proto Man seemed unable to fight back against his own nightmare. All his concentration seemed focused on keeping his visor together, which was now cracking up like an eggshell.

Mega Man took another step toward him. If he could just talk Proto Man through this… "But in a way, you _are_ a kid," he pointed out. "We both are, we're Dr. Light's children."

"No I'm not," Proto Man said coldly. "I'm a _robot."_

He was making a valiant effort to hold his visor together, but it was now completely shattered, black pieces crumbling down, about to break apart—

A robed figure suddenly darted between them. Elec Man had tracked them down.

"No, wait—" called Mega Man, reaching out.

Too late. Bolts of black electricity shot out from Elec Man's sleeves, and Proto Man disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Elec Man received **-1000000** points above his head for friendly fire. As payback for his interference, Mega Man shot Elec Man in the back, and Elec Man exploded into a golden **1000.**

"You are definitely my least favorite Robot Master," Mega Man quipped good-naturedly to himself.

A second later there was a flash of light as Proto Man reappeared in his normal-sized body, looking shaken and feeling his visor tentatively. He turned on Mega Man, the laboratory walls crumbling around them as though made of salt.

"Sorry, brother, but you're not getting that deep into my subconscious today," he said in a low, menacing voice.

He lunged, tackling Mega Man, and the two wrestled on the ground, rolling over and over, Proto Man going for his neck, Mega Man trying to hold him back.

Then, something happened—Mega Man experienced a strange swooping jolt, like missing a stair or tripping. Proto Man must have felt it too, for they both jerked at the same time.

It had suddenly gotten a lot darker. They were lying on a cool, smooth floor in the middle of a large cave. It took Mega Man a second to realize what had happened.

The astronauts had done it! The dream aboard the _Phobetor_ was destroyed!

* * *

The readout on Dr. Wily's computer cut to static.

"I can't tell what's going on!" Dr. Wily shouted, standing up. He whirled around as the dream machine behind him shook violently, glowing like the center of a black light, spitting out the bodies of all of the robots in violet flashes. "Nooooooo!"

Proto Man was looking around, disoriented, for he hadn't known that Mega Man had gotten through to the astronauts. Mega Man took advantage of this momentary distraction to kick Proto Man across the cave.

"I don't think you'll be playing Sandman anymore, Wily!" Mega Man called as he blasted at the rocky ceiling, dislodging several large boulders, which fell on the dream machine and Dr. Wily's van, smashing them to bits.

Seeing years of work destroyed, Dr. Wily entered flight mode. "Hold him off while I escape!" he shrieked, shooting toward the Skullker like a squirrel retreating to the safety of its nest.

"Think again, Doc!" snarled Proto Man. He waved at the Robot Masters. "Go with Wily!"

The Robot Masters obeyed. Cut Man and Guts Man seemed to be of the same mind as Dr. Wily, the experience of their dream forms forcibly turning into giant slugs still fresh in their minds. They were patting down their armor frantically as they ran, making sure they had returned completely normal. Bomb Man followed them, looking just as confused as he did in the dream ("But we have them outnumbered!" he croaked). Elec Man and Proto Man hung back a moment longer to cover their escape before leaping into the open back of the Skullker. Mega Man caught Proto Man giving him an extremely ugly look just before the Skullker shot out of the mouth of the cave.

"So long, Wily…and sweet dreams!" he called after them, waving.

* * *

Mega Man and Roll reported back to Dr. Light, checked in at the Space Research Center to make sure everything was under control, then returned to the laboratory, heartily recounting their adventure in the dream along the way (Roll found 'Cut Slug and Guts Slug' to be particularly hilarious.)

"…But why did you have the astronauts turn _all_ the Bad-bots into slugs?" she asked as they landed in the front yard. "I bet Proto Man would have made a _really_ slimy one."

"I didn't think of it," said Mega Man, opening the front door. "Besides, I wasn't sure how long the astronauts could hold their lucid state. Destroying the dream transmitter was more important."

"I suppose…" sighed Roll.

Privately, Mega Man thought what he had witnessed to be far more interesting, though he had omitted the part about Proto Man's nightmare in his account to Roll.

Dr. Light was waiting for them. He had dark circles under his eyes, but he was smiling. He had been in contact with the Space Research Center taking care of loose ends.

"Once communication cleared, Space Station 1 launched one of their emergency medical shuttles to rescue the astronauts on the _Phoebetor,_ " Dr. Light informed them happily. "They're awake now, and as you can imagine have just had the strangest dream!"

"But what if Dr. Wily builds another dream machine?" asked Mega Man, pulling off his helmet and setting it on the table. Met beeped a greeting and handed Mega Man and Roll energy cans with her retractable arms.

Dr. Light chuckled. "He unwisely gave us the tool to block his robots from entering dreams ever again. Using the schematics the parts from the machine he created, a new and improved dream satellite will now target and disable any future dream waves he creates. Now that we can counter Wily's dream machine, I don't think he'll try any more nightmare games. Commander Smith is taking care of it all now, which means we can all rest easy and go to bed."

This was good news. They hadn't slept for over a day, and the sun was high in the sky.

"It's too bad he decided to exploit this technology for nightmares and crime," yawned Mega Man as he and Roll headed upstairs. "With some modification, this could have had many useful applications in medicine and psychology."

"Or the leisure market," pointed out Roll. "You could literally sell _dream_ vacations. Hell, I might not even mind if Wily's bots showed up if I get to beat them up like I did in the Space Crew's dream!"

"I hope I don't have any dreams tonight," said Mega Man. "I'm too tired!"

* * *

After returning to Skull Fortress, Dr. Wily whisked off to his laboratory to think of a new scheme. He hadn't foreseen a scenario in which the dreamer realized they were dreaming and turned their dream against his robots. That knowledge alone nullified his dream plans. What was the point of sending his robots into dreams if the dreamers just turned them into paperclips or dust bunnies? He commented aloud to Proto Man that the dream machine needed 'further research,' which Proto Man took to mean he was giving up on it.

Both Cut Man and Guts Man were extremely disgruntled. Though they had not really transformed into giant slugs, the feelings of lying flat to the dungeon floor on a slimy belly—a spineless mass with no arms, legs, or any way to communicate—worming around in painstaking fingerbreadth-sized movements—dripping with mucus, completely defenseless—had been real enough to ward them off from ever willingly entering a dream again.

Bomb Man returned to the armory and described his night to Crash Man, Drill Man, and Stone Man, who were as just as confused as he was about dreams, but were none the less interested in a full account of the events.

Proto Man sought out Elec Man, who went back to his office to update Skull Fortress's security protocols once again to block Dr. Light's Searcher-bots. Elec Man didn't look up as Proto Man entered. He seemed to be expecting him.

"Hey, uh…thanks back there," Proto Man began awkwardly, closing the door behind him. "It was getting a little out of hand. One of my nightmares—it doesn't matter—" he appended in an attempt to backpedal.

"I noticed," Elec Man cut him off curtly, but then added just as swiftly, "We don't have to discuss it, I really couldn't care."

Proto Man was extremely gratefully that this was Elec Man's view. He wanted to thank Elec Man, but more importantly, he wanted to impart that the nightmare should _never_ be brought up again. His experience in the dream with Mega Man had ended in painful humiliation. If Elec Man hadn't interrupted while he had—

"…It was pretty obvious what was going on," Elec Man added lazily. Proto Man winced internally. "It really shouldn't matter to you that much if your brother sees what you look like."

"Easy for you to say, we can't all be as good looking as you," he deflected in mock humility.

"Don't be an ass." Elec Man looked over the top of his computer briefly, narrowing his eyes coldly at Proto Man. "I figured something idiotic like that would happen as soon as you and Mega Man disappeared together. He is your biggest weakness."

"You sound like Wily."

"'Even a broken clock is right twice a day.'"

Proto Man said nothing to this. Something else was bothering him.

"I can't believe your gang paid off the Chief of Police," he said.

"It's smarter than what you and Wily do."

Proto Man didn't argue. He had something he wanted to get off his chest, and a short list of people he could talk to about it. He clenched his fist, thinking. Elec Man looked up at the noise, from Proto Man's fist, then to his face.

"…What's up?" Elec Man asked in a departure from his usual uptight, nasally manner of speaking.

"About your creator… _Centum_ …the guy who wants to 'recruit' me…"

"What about it?"

"I think he knows who built me, or he at least suspects…"

"Probably. It's not a mystery to anyone with a brain."

Proto Man bristled at this. Sometimes it was hard to have a conversation with Elec Man without wanting to blast him. "Yeah, well, I was thinking, if Centum _really_ wanted to get at me…" he trailed off, not wanting to complete the sentence.

Elec Man stopped working and leaned back in his chair to look at him directly, seeming to understand what Proto Man was getting at. His expression was impossible to read.

"What do you care? You and Wily cause the Lights harm and anguish all the time."

"That's different."

"The Lights aren't the Syndicate's type of target," Elec Man continued seriously. "They're law-abiding citizens, and they aren't interfering with the Syndicate."

"But this isn't about the Lights, it's about _me._ "

Now that Proto Man had said it aloud, it sounded a hundred times worse. He felt the weight build up in his chest and a faint buzzing in his ears.

Elec Man continued to stare at him, completely still. "If you are really concerned, you could retire from crime…go back to where you came from, or something…"

"Not that again. I'll tell Wily you've been trying to talk me into becoming a good guy," Proto Man answered in a warning tone.

"I'm not," Elec Man said quietly, nettled by Proto Man pulling rank and insinuating he was being disobedient when, of course, Elec Man couldn't be disobedient. "I know you won't listen. You wanted my opinion, so I gave it to you. Do what you want, but _if_ you quit working for Wily and returned to Light, then they will stop harassing you, I'm positive."

Proto Man calmed down, regretting snapping at Elec Man. "And why is that? Some sort of criminal code?"

"I don't know."

"Sometimes I wish you remembered more."

"Me too," said Elec Man coldly.

"So you think they'll go after the Lights too, right?" asked Proto Man.

"I really don't know," persisted Elec Man in a frustratingly even tone.

Proto Man ignored him. "But I can't go back there," he blurted out. "You don't know what it's like to be on the other side, working in a _lab…_ it's _boring,_ it's _life-sucking_ , it's _degrading,_ it's _repressive,_ it's _suffocating,_ it's— _"_

He had run out of adjectives in his aggravation.

"Actually, I don't think I'd mind," said Elec Man quietly with a very small, very indifferent shrug. "…But it's not an option for me."

Elec Man was referring to his past crimes for the Syndicate, which would guarantee him an order for destruction. Proto Man's anger died down. He hadn't really meant to say any of that out loud.

Elec Man looked at his visor hard without blinking. "Why doesn't where I come from bother you?" He was cagey, as though trying to keep his motives for asking concealed.

"You mean being a criminal robot who is connected to a gang with an extremely nasty reputation?" put in Proto Man. "Can't say it's ever _bothered_ me…I may not be a gangster, but I'm no hero either. And I doubt you'd _really_ like being one of the good guys," he added with light-hearted skepticism. "You'd lose your temper as soon as they did something stupid, and you'd want to solve problems with mob tactics if it were more efficient. Being good sucks, _trust me."_

Proto Man stiffened. He was being more candid about his past than he usually was, and hurried on, "Either way, Wily's taking over the world so you won't have to worry about it—I know you hate working for Wily, but if we let you go, you'd come back to fry us. I know how mobsters work."

The stillness on Elec Man's face broke as the corner of his mouth twitched as though he were imaging it. "Letting me go would be pretty stupid…but then again you suck at being a criminal."

"Not according to the police. They'd do anything to take me down, apparently."

Proto Man decided to leave it there. Elec Man had already turned back to his computer, and Proto Man wanted to unwind after what had unexpectedly ended up being a very mentally taxing mission.

"You want the door open, or closed?"

"Doesn't matter."

Resolving to take the fastest jet in the hanger out for a few hours, Proto Man left Elec Man's office, leaving the door ajar behind him.

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

It's lights out for New York City as Dr. Wily unleashes a monster of an invention that steals energy. Mega Man struggles to find a weak-point while racing across a city and avoiding Wily's forces, meanwhile Roll runs into familiar faces and is let in on an unpleasant family secret…tune in next time for _Robo-Spider!_


	14. Robo-Spider, Part 1

****

**Episode 18: Robo-Spider**

As retaliation for his defeat at the Space Research Center, Dr. Wily sent his robots to raid military compounds and their suppliers with increasing frequency during the following weeks. It became widely feared that he was building up his attack-bot army to attempt a hostile takeover of one of the major military bases.

In response to the developing threat, Dr. Light designed a defense system built specifically to repel Dr. Wily's robotic forces, which Civil Defense planned to install throughout all military bases. The defense system was controlled by a supercomputer the size of a building that stood in a protective dome in the middle of nowhere New York, hidden snuggly in difficult, rocky terrain.

Dr. Light invited various generals to visit the supercomputer for a presentation of the new defenses. There, on a wall-mounted monitor the size of a billboard, he played a computer simulation of an attack-bot invasion force closing in on one of the military bases. The generals, initially cross-armed and stony-faced at the suggestion of adding Dr. Light's anti-Wily technology to their bases, were applauding by the end of the video.

"That was some fireworks, Doc! Hotter than the fourth of July!" said Mega Man, clapping along with the generals.

"Yes, Mega. It seems my computerized defense weapons worked like a charm…" said Dr. Light. "At least according to my simulated test run," he added modestly.

"I'm very impressed, Dr. Light," said General Hawthorne. "Dr. Wily will think twice about launching a real invasion on any of our military bases now, thanks to your supercomputer."

"Yes, I've got it programmed to control all our defense systems throughout America," said Dr. Light.

General Hawthorne held up a hand. "But one thing concerns me…what if Wily should attack us here to try to destroy your computer?"

"Nah, there's nothing to worry about, General Hawthorne. This base and the computer are protected by the same defensive weapons you saw in the test. It would take a weapon of enormous power to put it out of commission."

Just above the large computer display, a spider the size of a silver dollar clung on tiny suction cups to the wall. On its back, a spy camera adjusted its focus on the supercomputer. Then the spider scuttled away through an air vent.

* * *

Dr. Wily watched robotic spider's spy feed from a padded chair in his laboratory, grinning smugly.

"And I have just the weapon, Dr. Light. You're not the only genius in town—isn't that right, my little pet?" he crooned as another small robotic spider crawled down his sleeve, clicking its pincers and chittering like a chipmunk. He stroked its head with his forefinger as he laughed maniacally.

* * *

Dr. Light took turns speaking to all the generals after the presentation. Just as he had answered of their last question, the generals breaking off to talk amongst themselves or return to their duties, a bearded man wearing a long camel hair overcoat approached Dr. Light, a pair of robotic bodyguards remaining two steps behind his stride.

"Oh, hello King, I wasn't sure if you'd be able to make it out," greeted Dr. Light.

"I can only spare a few moments, but I didn't want to miss this," said Senator King, his eyes traveling up the supercomputer. "So this is it, very interesting."

"Yes," said Dr. Light, folding his arms behind his back and gazing up at the super computer as well. "I just convinced the generals to adopt this into their bases. The installation shouldn't take long."

Senator King nodded. "I knew this would be popular. After what happened in November—the havoc Wily caused at the Space Research Center just by breaking into dreams—truly embarrassing. We weren't sure what to think back in Washington."

"It may help prevent some of the more _unusual_ attacks," Dr. Light with a small chuckle, "Though, I admit, Dr. Wily's mad science comes in more forms than even I can predict.

"I'm amazed at how fast you got this up and running," said Senator King. "You must be very busy these days, what with running Light University, inventing, and helping Mega Man fight Dr. Wily. How do you find time?"

Dr. Light's beard twitched into a smile. "It is work I enjoy doing, which is all that counts."

Senator King peered at Dr. Light from the corner of his eye, lowering his voice. "That's not to mention...you are also collaborating on a special project with Mikhail Cossack, is that right?"

Dr. Light gave him a surprised look. "My other projects are confidential."

Senator King held up his hands placatingly. "No need to be defensive. This isn't an official inquiry, just a guess. I've heard that Cossack is a brilliant scientist too…birds of a feather?" he added leadingly, giving Dr. Light a shrug.

"Well, as I said, my other projects are confidential," Dr. Light persisted firmly.

"Have it your way, I didn't mean to pry," said Senator King, looking disappointed. He checked his watch, sighing. "Must get going, I have a helicopter waiting for me. I'm due at a press conference in an hour." He rolled his eyes as if he'd rather do anything else. "Keep up the good work, I'll put in a good word about this with President Lemming."

He waved goodbye to Dr. Light, then motioned to his robotic bodyguards, who stalked after him.

* * *

Mega Man and Roll had hung back by the water cooler to wait politely as Dr. Light talked to the generals. Roll caught sight of Senator King just as he left through the double doors of the computer room, her eyes narrowing. "What's _he_ doing here?" she hissed to Mega Man.

"The new supercomputer is part of the anti-Wily projects Senator King has been helping fund," Mega Man explained quietly. "I asked Dad about it. I believe it's part of the 'King' civil defense grant, like the stealth suit, the marine suit, and the searcher-bots."

Roll seemed determined to find fault. "And what's with those robo-bodyguards? Do they have to follow him everywhere? We're in a remote, high-security base for crying out loud!"

Mega Man said nothing. He had to admit…he wasn't sure he liked Senator King very much either. Though Senator King always showed the utmost confidence and support for Mega Man and Dr. Light, particularly in their fight against Dr. Wily, his friendliness seemed shallow at times. There was something shrewd and calculating about his manner, and Senator King seemed to expect to get his way on every issue.

Mega Man had noticed when Senator King had pulled Dr. Light aside earlier. Something about their brief conversation seemed to make Dr. Light uncomfortable, but when Mega Man caught Dr. Light's eye, Dr. Light had given him a bright, reassuring smile.

* * *

Quick Man had a light frame, crimson armor with golden trim, and flat external blasters mounted on top of his gauntlets. A long crest shaped like a pointed 'V' adorned his helmet, matching a similar crest embossed on his chest.

He sprinted everywhere in Skull Fortress, sounding a bit like a racecar speeding around a bend, which irritated the other Robot Masters as he unexpectedly popped in and out of rooms with a small gust of wind that would knock over lightweight objects and loose paper. When Quick Man wasn't zipping through at lightning speeds, he had a habit of strutting around as though he were the most important thing ever.

A group of the off-duty Robot Masters were passing time in the armory when Quick Man dashed suddenly in, startling Crash Man and Drill Man, who were walking by. Crash Man dropped the bucket of machine oil he had been carefully cradling in his drill arms, swearing crossly as it splashed all over his boots.

"Where's Proto Man?" demanded Quick Man, looking around.

Ring Man shrugged. "Why would _we_ know?"

"Well if you see him tell him that he's late and that I came down to look for him but he wasn't here," Quick Man said indifferently. "I'll take that to Dr. Wily!" he added, yanking a crate of energy cans out of Air Man's hands before taking off up the stairs, his wake knocking down Wood Man's castle of cards and bowling Astro Man over.

"Competitive little twerp, isn't he?" Ring Man muttered. Magnet Man shrugged. They had never met a robot so completely opposite to his and Magnet Man's preferred mode of lying around Skull Fortress playing video games or otherwise dodging work.

* * *

In the western hangar, Proto Man was curled up under his bomber jacket in the cockpit one of the fighter jets. He was a heavy sleeper, and his head merely twitching at the sound of a door sliding open and footsteps echoing across the open space.

A smart rapping noise against the side of the fighter jet made him wake with a start. Proto Man sat up, a blaster reflexively drawn, looking around in confusion, then down. Elec Man stood beside the jet's nose, staring up at him with a raised brow.

Proto Man let his blaster arm reform back into a hand as he unlatching the cockpit window. "What are you doing down here?"

"Looking for a craft to take into the city…you said I could take the rooms on the floor above."

"Oh, didn't think you actually would," said Proto Man, rubbing his face blearily.

Elec Man gave Proto Man's groggy appearance a disapproving look. "What are _you_ doing down here?"

"Couldn't sleep—went flying last night—doesn't matter." Proto Man would have to remind himself not to fall asleep down here now that there was an upstairs neighbor. He glanced at the dashboard of the jet, then sat bolt upright. "Shit…what time is it?"

"Almost sundown. Wily couldn't find you, so he left without you."

Proto Man reached around under the cockpit seat for his helmet, then paused, looking down at Elec Man, who was dressed as a human with a black business suit, black dress shirt, red tie, and rimless glasses. "…What do you need to go into the city for?"

"This isn't the first time Dr. Wily has targeted New York City's power grid," stated Elec Man disdainfully. The recollection of Dr. Wily taking control of electronics via an Atari joystick was apparently still very trying to him. "A spy-bat discovered a city planning firm has updated plans for the New York's power grid with new emergency procedures should it ever be compromised again. Wily wants me to break into that firm and steal their data so he can invade the city more efficiently."

"Oh. Will that be dangerous?"

"Not really, it's just an average office in a commercially used skyscraper."

Proto Man scooped up his helmet and climbed out of the fighter jet. "I'll go with you—not that I don't trust you to handle this by yourself, but I gotta have an excuse for being late or Doc will start getting nosey about where I am at any given time."

* * *

Proto Man changed into a gray suit, though he forwent the tie and despite the evening darkness wore his mirrored aviators. Elec Man pointedly ignored his breaches in formal wear as they left Skull Fortress.

The skyscraper lay in a classy part of New York City. It was after hours, and the city planning office was empty. Proto Man kept a lookout, chatting pleasantly about the weather with a suspicious passerby from a neighboring office while Elec Man hacked into the mainframe with his handheld computer, copying the files onto a diskette.

"Nothing to that really," Proto Man commented afterward as they got into the elevator.

"Not really," said Elec Man.

The elevator doors opened and they got out. They had returned to the high-ceiling lobby with marble floors of black and white, its open floor plan decorated scarcely with crate-sized planters spilling with curling ferns.

The revolving doors at the entrance ahead of them began swishing as four figures pushed their way out of the cold. Proto Man looked up, then instantly grabbed Elec Man by the sleeve and pulled him down behind one of the planters.

"Proto Man, what?" Elec Man hissed in a cross whisper. He yanked his sleeve out of Proto Man's grasp and began smoothing out the wrinkles.

"The Lights are here!" Proto Man hissed back. "But what are _they_ doing here?"

Elec Man stopped smoothing his sleeve and peered carefully over the top of the ferns, giving a short yet supremely exasperated sigh."There's a rooftop garden with a restaurant at the top of this building. They must have dinner reservations with Fredrick Henson."

"Who?"

"He's the designer for several popular lines of commercial androids. Wily ordered me to plant a control chip on one of his Gizmo City robots last year."

"Right, whatever," said Proto Man distractedly. He vaguely recalled Fredrick Henson as an old friend of Dr. Light's and a bore.

"So…do you want to fight them, or…?" Elec Man asked dryly.

"No, not like _this,"_ Proto Man said reproachfully, gesturing toward their human suits. He thought that was a stupid question; it was the last thing he wanted after his last encounter with Mega Man in the dream. He self-consciously pushed the bridge of his aviators hard against his nose. He shouldn't have followed Elec Man here…but how could he have known Dr. Light and Mega Man would turn up at the same place?

A group of women in business suits and heels began eyeing Proto Man and Elec Man with raised brows, whispering to each other and clearly wondering why two men were crouched on the floor hiding behind a plant. Proto Man wished they'd stop, they'd draw attention. Already, a security guard had looked their way, frowning. On the other side of the planter, steadily growing nearer, he could hear the muffled voices of Dr. Light and Henson talking amiably, followed by two pairs of boots taking extra care to step softly on the marble floor as though trying not to alert the surrounding humans that they were made of titanium.

Elec Man was also listening to this noise, and after a moment glanced boldly back over the ferns. "They're getting in the elevator," he said.

"They're gone?" Proto Man looked up cautiously, then seeing no sign of Dr. Light, Mega Man, or Roll, stood up, beckoned to Elec Man, and they stole their chance to hurry out of the revolving doors and onto the street just as the security guard began walking toward them.

A smile spread across Proto Man's face as they pushed through the crowds of holiday shoppers on the sidewalks. "I'll have to report what we just saw…I'm sure Wily will want to drop in for dinner to show off his latest invention."

"He never can resist making an unnecessary scene," Elec Man sniffed with distaste.

"I'm sticking around to help Wily out. You better head back to Skull Fortress. Wily's machine goes after electricity, you'd be like a juicy bug to it."

"Don't be disgusting," said Elec Man shortly, handing Proto Man the diskette as they parted ways, though Proto Man knew Elec Man was pleased to be dismissed early from this mission.

* * *

The rooftop restaurant was warm and cozy. It had lightly frosted glass ceiling and walls, a bit like a greenhouse. Outside lay a small garden, its shrubberies capped in snow and decorated with white lights, and beyond it the surrounding buildings cast a pretty golden glow in the blue winter night. Mirroring what the garden must look like in summer, the iron chandeliers and light fixtures inside the restaurant were sculpted elegantly to be like vines adorned with tulip lights. This pattern echoed on the golden draperies and place settings. In the far back, a small group of musicians played Tchaikovsky's _Nutcracker Suite._

Mega Man, Roll, Dr. Light, and Professor Henson were seated at a round table next to a window. A robo-waiter took Dr. Light's and Professor Henson's orders, then rolled away on well-oiled caster wheels, which allowed him to glide gracefully from table to table without making a noise or spilling a drink.

Professor Henson wore tweed suits, had neatly combed hair, a long nose and thin wire-rimmed spectacles. As they waited for their food, he reminisced with Dr. Light about their days as students (both Dr. Light and Professor Henson had overlapped at Cambridge), then about the students and course curriculums at their current universities (Professor Henson taught at the University of Robotics, which was enjoying a friendly rivalry with Light University—though both Dr. Light and Professor Henson were frequent visiting professors at each other's universities), then into deep discussions about their scientific pursuits.

Mega Man was wearing a wool coat, which he had politely declined to check at the door as it was hiding his armor, his helmet stowed in a travel duffle. Beside him, Roll was bored. She wore a long jacket over her titanium jumpsuit, and kept shooting Mega Man peevish looks whenever he chimed in on what she clearly thought were dull subjects, her interest in university life completely dead. Rush lay on the floor with his head between his paws. He was eyeing the robo-waiters with interest, but thankfully did not bark or get up to chase them.

"Excellent service," Professor Henson applauded as the robo-waiter served their entrées. He smiled at Dr. Light. "You've come a long way since our college days when you designed your first household bot. Now robots are everywhere, serving mankind, just like our robo-waiter."

"Yes, Fredrick, it could be a perfect world…unfortunately, there are those humans like Dr. Wily who do not serve mankind," said Dr. Light bitterly.

"Oh, let's not talk about such things," said Professor Henson placatingly. "We're out here to relax, not think about our troubles."

_Crash._

Everyone in the room jumped, and the musicians stopped playing. A giant hooked claw the size of a speedboat had burst through a window, trampling a dinner table, its patrons scattering. Before anyone else had a chance to process this, a second claw burst through the window next to Mega Man, splitting their table down the middle. Bits of steak and Chicken à la King splattered to the floor while a blast of icy air surged through the restaurant.

Dr. Light and Professor Henson crouched behind half of their upturned table while Mega Man and Roll threw off their coats, Mega Man hastily slipping on his gauntlets and helmet. Rush was growling, his head snapping from window to window. All around them, chairs were scraping as diners got hastily to their feet and fled toward the exit.

The claws withdrew back through the holes. Mega Man could hear something thumping heavily on the garden outside, as though several robosaurs were stomping around. A shadow was moving across the windows, then, at one of the holes a claw had made earlier, the lamp light glistened against two large, smooth, convex surfaces—the eyes of a giant creature were peering in at them. They could just make out its pointed purple head, a large round body banded with yellow and black stripes, and the beginnings of eight legs.

Dr. Light craned his neck over the top of the table. "It's some kind of _robotic spider!"_

 _"_ Wily!" snarled Mega Man.

The Robo-Spider stuck its head through the hole and pointed a long, tubular mouth into the restaurant. Mega Man, Roll, and Rush took cover with Dr. Light and Professor Henson as the Robo-Spider sprayed thick, silvery webbing into the restaurant, which caught onto the lights and the robo-waiters. A faint buzzing noise began traveling through the web toward the Robo-Spider's mouth. The robo-waiters struggled against their snare, then one-by-one powered down, the lamp lights cutting out and plunging the restaurant into darkness.

"It's feeding off… _energy!_ " gasped Dr. Light.

"Well I'm going to spoil its appetite," remarked Mega Man.

He sprang out from behind the table and fired twice between the Robo-Spider's eyes. The plasma made a light pinging noise against the purple hide, but did not even mar the Robo-Spider's finish.

The Robo-Spider pushed itself up on its legs, ripping off the glass roof with it (Roll shielded Dr. Light and Professor from splinters of glass using a metal umbrella from her utility arm). They could now see the Robo-Spider in its entirety against the night sky. With its long, spindly legs, it was the easily size of a circus tent.

 _Tough skin on this baby…it must be solid titanium!_ Mega Man thought to himself.

But the Robo-Spider seemed to have lost interest in them. Its legs were now working, turning its massive body into a complete circle. Then it climbed vertically down the side of the building.

Mega Man and Roll ran over to the broken window and watched it descend into the street, its spindly legs crashing through windows as it went.

"C'mon boy, we're going after it!" shouted Mega Man.

He leaped out of the window. Rush transformed into a jet, catching Mega Man midair and zooming down into the street.

* * *

The Robo-Spider had been transported to New York City in pieces using several tandem-rotocopters. The cabin (or the Robo-Spider's head) wasn't quite as the size as the Skullker, but Dr. Wily and Proto Man could still sit side by side in front of the giant windows that made the Robo-Spider's eyes without feeling crowded. Everything had to be strapped completely in, as (like real spiders) the Robo-Spider could climb walls in every direction, which it was doing now.

The control panel was a complicated mess of levers, wheels, and knobs, which Dr. Wily commanded with the skill of a puppeteer. He piloted the Robo-Spider down the street, a devilish grin spread across his face as he watched the humans scramble away from the clawed legs picking their way through the sidewalk. He sprayed the surrounding buildings with web, their lights flickering off.

"Well….we've just drained another ten thousand volts, Proto my boy," Dr. Wily said, tapping an energy meter that was creeping toward the 'HALF' marking, his pet mini robo-spider perched on his shoulder. "Soon, we'll have enough energy to fully charge my Robo-Spider, and then—" he slapped his hands together as though crushing a fly,"—I'll use it to blow Dr. Light's super computer to bits, allowing my invasion force to take over the world's military bases, _for real_!"

The Robo-Spider placed its forelegs onto the track of a monorail, an incoming train honking warningly. Dr. Wily sprayed the train with webbing, bringing it to a screeching halt.

"Now…to drain the monorail's energy…" said Dr. Wily, reaching for a button on the control panel, his pet spider chittering excitedly.

"Hey! Here comes my bro, playing hero again," announced Proto Man, gazing up through one of the windows.

Dr. Wily glanced up with a frown, his hand still hovering over the energy-drain button. "Hmm…that puny blue dweeb is no match for my Robo-Spider."

He pulled a lever. One of the Robo-Spider's forelegs shot out at Mega Man and Rush, swatting them through the eleventh floor of a department store.

"You should give up this hero business, Mega Man…it's dangerous for your health!" Dr. Wily cackled. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, the monorail…"

* * *

Mega Man and Rush had crashed through a window into a display of mannequins, and were now were buried in a tangle of polyester dresses and felt hats. In the distance, Mega Man could see the Robo-Spider tearing itself away from the webbing that trapped the monorail, which now lay powerless on its tracks.

"C'mon, boy, we can't let that hunk of scrap metal stop us," he growled, pushing dismembered arms out of his way while Rush shook off a feathered sun hat.

* * *

Cars jammed the streets in solid grid lock as humans streamed away from the Robo-Spider. Police officers were shooting up at it, but the laser fire just flashed pointlessly against its thick belly. They were forced to draw back as the Robo-Spider continued to spray sheets of webbing, ensnaring the robo-officers, their patrol cars, and the lamp posts.

Roll, Dr. Light, and Professor Henson had reached ground floor of the skyscraper (both Dr. Light and Professor Henson a little winded from taking the stairs) and were watching from a safe distance when the Robo-Spider caught sight of them. Its legs worked furiously as it wheeled around to face them.

"It's heading straight for us, run!" Roll told Dr. Light and Professor Henson.

They bolted down the street, the Robo-Spider pounding behind them, knocking bus stations and bicycle stands out of its way with its clawed feet as it quickly gained on them. Professor Henson and Dr. Light rounded the corner into a tight alley. Roll whipped around and fired a titanium chain tied to a pair of heavy weights at two of the Robo-Spider's legs, attempting to trip it up as though using bolas, but the Robo-Spider had no trouble snapping through the chain as though it were floss. She was forced to duck into the alley as a spray of webbing shot toward her.

The alley ended abruptly in a brick wall. Roll drew a crowbar from her utility arm and prized open a manhole cover. She waited while Dr. Light and Professor Henson climbed down, watching the end of the alley as the Robo-Spider thudded nearer. She had just time to leap into the hole after them as the Robo-Spider's head appeared at the entrance of the alley, another blast of webbing narrowly missing her.

* * *

Mega Man had been close behind when the Robo-Spider had suddenly lurched down the street, giving chase to Roll, Dr. Light, and Professor Henson, and had just watched his sister narrowly escape into the manhole cover before the entire alleyway became covered in web.

As Rush raced into the alley, the Robo-Spider turned its head in their direction and raised a claw to strike. Mega Man blasted at the webbing on the ground, clearing the manhole cover again, then he and Rush dived through as the Robo-Spider brought down its claw.

They landed inside the dark tunnel of a storm drain. Roll, Dr. Light, and Professor Henson were balanced carefully on the banks so not to fall into the dirty frigid water seeping lazily below.

The claw caught against the small round opening. Its sharp point wriggled back and forth for a moment, small cracks forming in the concrete as it strained to get through, then pulled away. They all waited, holding their breath. They heard a series of thuds, shaking the pipes above them, each one growing softer and farther away.

"He's leaving!" said Roll, peering through the manhole.

"But he's not finished yet, and this is one bot I can't stop," said Mega Man grimly.

"Perhaps not, Mega…but this could be a key to stopping it," said Dr. Light, plucking a silvery strand of web hanging down from the manhole. "Time is of the essence! We'll have to use the university lab."

They crept back into the street, heading for where the Air Raider and Roll's skycycle had been parked earlier.

* * *

Elec Man wandered through the pitch-black darkness of the streets in the Robo-Spider's wake. He didn't want to draw attention to himself by being in too much of a hurry, though it didn't seem to matter much. Humans were busy looking up in surprise and awe at the silvery webs draped over the buildings like cargo nets.

He was almost to the criminal underground where Proto Man had hidden the jet, leaving the human onlookers far behind, when it began to snow. Giant fluffy flakes were landing on his hair and the shoulders of his black wool suit and melting, ruining it. He gave an annoyed huff as he brushed them off in vain, small droplets appearing on his glasses. It wasn't supposed to snow tonight.

"Shouldn't walk through my turf alone, pretty boy. You might freeze," said a gruff voice behind him.

In surprise and recognition, Elec Man whirled, reacting as instantly as he could. He struck out against the first attack, but it cost him his weapon.

He wasn't able to defend himself from the second attack.

* * *

The compact campus of the University of Robotics lay just outside of Manhattan across the Bay Bridge. Unlike the classically inspired buildings of Light University, the architecture here was modern-style and modular. Professor Henson let them in through the back door of the Hall of Scientific Discovery. It was an older, ivy-covered building of brown brick, rows of wrap around windows making it look like a striped cube sitting atop recessed main floor made of glass. The halls were deserted as most of the students and staff had gone on break, and only a few maintenance drones were flitting around polishing the tiled floors or dusting display cases. They hurried to the second floor, where Professor Henson's office lay.

Dr. Light hunched over a microscope, examining the web strand closely under the light of a swing arm lamp. Mega Man, Roll, and Professor Henson were watching a screen projecting Dr. Light's view. It showed a cross-section of the Robo-Spider's web: a flexible outer casing for protection and durability, an inner core for added strength and shaping, and several hair-thin black wires snaking in between.

"It's just as I thought…" Dr. Light murmured. "This isn't an ordinary spider's web, it's a special high voltage electrical wire." He looked up at them with knit eyebrows. "It must be conducting the city's energy into an enormous battery inside the spider."

"But what would Dr. Wily want with all that power?" asked Professor Henson.

"My guess? He's going to fry your super computer, Doc," said Mega Man.

"Yes, Mega, and take over the military bases. We must prevent it!" said Dr. Light, raising a fist.

Roll gave the ceiling a bemused look. "But how do you stop a ten-ton titanium tarantula with an attitude?"

Dr. Light paced across the room. "If I could just discover how the spider's electronic circuitry is constructed, perhaps I could design a device that would drain it of all its energy…but how can I get a copy of the spider's schematic?"

"I'm your bot!" said Mega Man. "I can copy it with my plasma weapon!"

"It just might work, Mega…but it could be very dangerous, those webs could drain all your energy!"

Mega Man gave Roll a rueful smile. "Sounds like our kind of gig, Doc!"

* * *

Bree Ricotta had been having a busy year. She had stopped covering Dr. Light and Mega Man—not (as she maintained stubbornly) due to the amount of hate mail and threats she received from some of her more scathing reports, but simply because capturing Dr. Wily's schemes as they unfolded was more entertaining and earned her the most viewership. She boldly waited for him in front of a power plant with Ted Graham, her camera man (the power plant operators had fled a long time ago).

"This is Bree Ricotta reporting. Half the city has already been engulfed in the giant spider's webs and drained of its energy, and now the monster's headed for this power plant!" Bree Ricotta said impressively, her microphone clutched tightly in her hands. "Can anyone stop it?"

It wasn't until the head of the Robo-Spider appeared above the power plant's metal framework towers that they finally fled for cover, though Bree Ricotta whispered fervent instructions to Ted Graham to get a close up of the spider as soon as they were within a safe distance. Meanwhile, the Robo-Spider covered the power plant in a robe of silvery web.

* * *

"Another ten million megavolts and it's all mine!" said Dr. Wily gleefully as he pressed the energy-drain button. A large section of the city's lights went out all at once, almost as if the skyscrapers had simply vanished. He cast Proto Man a smug look. "Oooh, it's like taking candy from a baby!"

But Proto Man was watching the sky. "Hey, uh, I wouldn't gloat _too_ much Doc."

Mega Man and Roll were closing in on the Robo-Spider with Rush and Roll's skycycle.

"I thought you might show up, Mega fool," Dr. Wily sneered, his eyes flickering up to Mega Man without much concern. "Robots, attack!"

* * *

Quick Man bounced from foot to foot, like a runner waiting to step up to the starting line, his eyes watching Mega Man and Roll—mere specks moving above the skyscrapers—edge into range.

_C'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon…_

Quick Man had been ready for this moment since activation, but he had been held back, failing laboratory test trials by moving too fast and overheating. With each failure, Dr. Wily experimented with his circuitry, fortifying it, and with each new trial, Quick Man pushed himself further to see if he could outpace himself from last time. Finally (and with some resentment), Dr. Wily copied some Elec Man's circuitry, creating a hybrid design which could withstand higher levels of heat. Quick Man passed his twelfth test trial and was cleared to go on his first mission.

Impatient and hungry to prove himself, Quick Man was determined to make sure he was the fastest robot ever, to outstrip all competition even if that meant going beyond his physical limits.

But, to his disgust, he found the other Robot Masters to be very slow. He not only could run circles around anyone, but no one seemed to care. None of the other Robot Masters liked running like he did, they preferred driving or even—Quick Man momentarily closed his eyes, struggling to be patient— _walking._

No matter. Now that his design was perfected, he was bursting to show off his speed to the world.

Quick Man tensed, as though a starting pistol was about to go off, his blaster arm trained on the figures in the sky, then fired twice.

* * *

Mega Man and Roll dove down toward Robo-Spider (which, from this height, looked appropriately spider-sized), noticed the crimson dot at the foot of the power plant, and spotted the shining blue projectiles fired from it. They swerved easily out of the way.

But the projectiles circled back, cutting through the jet burners of Rush's jet and Roll's skycycle. Rush shook violently, plummeting several feet, and Mega Man toppled down into the power plant's framework tower. He reached out a hand, grabbing onto a cross beam to stop his fall.

"Whoa! I'm out of control!" Roll cried. Smoke billowed out of the back of the skycycle. She looked around. Rush was not far away, though he was now barrel rolling and yelping in panic. They weaved forward and backward, diving earthward. Roll pulled hard on the skycycle's handlebars, pointing its nose up to level its altitude. Then she reached out, grabbing Rush by the forepaw to steady them, and with a great splash they landed in the private pool of a townhouse several blocks away from the power plant.

 _Exploding boomerangs!_ Mega Man thought as hung from the crossbeam. He let go, landing lightly on the rust-stained concrete surrounding the power plant, searching through the darkness for the Robot Master who had fired at them.

But before he found him, a crimson blur suddenly zoomed into view, slamming into Mega Man.

Mega Man fell and slid backward, his back scraping against the concrete.

The crimson blur bounded back and stood up with his shoulders thrown back. "I betcha think you're fast but can you keep up with me Mega Man?"

The Robot Master had an impatient, arrogant sort of voice. He was speaking very fast, crowding as many syllables into each second with no pauses between clauses, like a video on fast forward.

"And you are…?" Mega Man asked, wincing as the Robot Master made several more zooming back and forth passes, knocking him around. Though the Robot Master was neither heavy nor strong, the speed at which he struck felt like getting hit from all sides with a baseball shooter.

"Quick Man, _duh_ ," said the Robot Master, flashing from side to side.

Mega Man fired at him, but the Quick Man seemed impossible to hit—outrunning the blasts like a flicker of light. Meanwhile, the hulking shadow of the Robo-Spider was shifting behind the power plant, its pointed head following Mega Man's every movement. Mega Man kept a cautious eye on it; he figured so long as he kept the jumble of framework towers between him and the Robo-Spider, Dr. Wily wouldn't be able to blast him with energy-sucking web.

Quick Man seemed more interested in toying with Mega Man than attacking him. He alternated between dodging plasma fire and rushing behind Mega Man to tap him on the shoulder before flitting to his other side for sneak attacks.

Picking up on this pattern, Mega Man edged subtly toward a patch of black ice he had spotted on the concrete. In the weak light, Quick Man failed to notice the same slick spot, and during his next rush attack skidded across it like a puppy out in snow for the first time, slamming gracelessly into a transformer. Mega Man couldn't help but smile—despite the Robot Master's arrogance, he could tell he was newly minted and still inexperienced.

Angry and embarrassed, Quick Man darted behind one of the legs of the framework towers, then shot in front of Mega Man, his blaster arm pointed at his chest.

"Hey Mega Man _think quick!"_

The boomerang had barely left Quick Man's arm cannon when golden plasma collided with it, causing a small explosion. Quick Man jumped back in shock, checking his blaster for damage. Mega Man fired again without hesitation, and Quick Man went flying like a ping pong ball, crashing headfirst through the side of the utility truck. His crimson boots waved madly in the air as he fought in vain to pull himself out.

"Was _that_ quick enough?" called Mega Man, grinning.

A giant yellow hand closed around Mega Man's shoulders.

"Need a lift, Mega twerp?" growled Guts Man, tossing Mega Man over his shoulder like a bag of garbage. "Happy landings!"

Mega Man arced over a metal crossbeam in the framework tower before plummeting through its center, landing in the springy center of a giant web, which swung up and down like a trampoline. A faint buzz emanated all around him, and he felt, as though by some metallic pull, stuck.

* * *

Dr. Wily leaned over the control panel to watch the scene below from the Robo-Spider's eye. "Mega Man…trapped like a fly in a web…" he said, savoring each word as if it were the sweetest thing he had ever heard, "And now, to drain every bit of his energy…"

* * *

Mega Man twisted and turned, but no matter what he did, the web remained stubbornly attached to his back. He couldn't stay here. The Robo-Spider would deplete his plasma reserves at any second, leaving him helpless to be pummeled by Guts Man—or worse, if Dr. Wily unloaded even a fraction of the electricity he had stolen from the city…

Mega Man pictured a lightbulb bursting during a power surge, and began struggling harder.

"You're gunna get zapped, Mega twerp," Guts Man laughed from a crossbeam above him. "I wouldn't trade places with you for anything!"

Well, _that_ was an idea…

Mega Man tore his arm loose from the webbing and fired at the beam Guts Man was standing on. Guts Man stumbled, lost his balance, and fell heavily into the webbing, bouncing Mega Man upward just as the Robo-Spider activated its energy-drain. Guts Man went completely rigid, his fingers twitching, then keeled over, his eyes drooping and his jaw falling slack.

Mega Man landed on top of the Robo-Spider's web-shooter. He reached down, making a copy of the Robo-Spider's schematics, then leaped off into the street, running as fast as he could away from the Robo-Spider.

* * *

"Things aren't going too swift, Doc; look's like Mega's copied your electronic web shooter," Proto Man commented as he and Dr. Wily watched Mega Man disappear around the corner of the power plant.

"We must stop him!" shrieked Dr. Wily while his pet spider clicked its pincers furiously. "If Dr. Light gets a hold of it, he could destroy my Robo-Spider! I'll call in my attack-bots. Mega Man will never make it across this city _in one piece!"_

**_To be continued…_ **


	15. Robo-Spider, Part 2

Mega Man regrouped with Roll and Rush in front of a dark and vacated pharmacy. Rush was walking strangely, as though he had a sore tail. Mega Man crouched down to examine him, cupping Rush's chin with his hands. Rush gave a low wine, his ears drooping.

"Rush's jetmode is damaged, and my skycycle is totaled!" Roll whispered to Mega Man. "It's going to be a long walk back to the university."

Mega Man patted Rush on the head as he looked down the street, frowning. "Yeah, long _and_ dangerous."

The city was now only lit by stars and a waning gibbous. The humans had long since fled into the emergency shelters reserved for Dr. Wily's attacks. It was a bit eerie seeing Venus Avenue completely empty during prime holiday hours. The Robo-Spider webbing was everywhere, strung between streetlights like garland, blocking alleys, and streaming down skyscrapers. Emergency vehicles and police robots lay in cocooned mounds.

Roll and Mega Man avoided the webs. Though they couldn't drain energy without being attached to the spider, they were still very sticky. They had already had to stop detangle Rush three times. Above, they could hear a chopping drone building in the air and echoing through streets. Skullcopters were flying low between buildings, their searchlights sweeping the sidewalks.

"Dr. Wily must have called in extra forces," Mega Man murmured as the sound grew louder.

"Good, that means he's worried," said Roll smirking. "We'll sneak by!"

But as she said this, a skullcopter hovered into a nearby intersection and turned down their street, its rotors thundering off the surrounding buildings. There were no open doors around—and they couldn't break through one of the shop windows (the skullcopters would surely notice the broken glass), so Mega Man, Roll, and Rush sprinted down a side street as the searchlight's circle of light glided just behind them.

But the side street dead-ended into a courtyard between several apartments packed tightly together. They stopped short, wincing and covering their faces as a searchlight beam shone straight into their eyes.

Roll turned to Mega Man. "No way out, we're toast!"

"Not if I can help it!" replied Mega Man. He blasted the ladder of a fire escape, which fell with a clang to the ground.

They began climbing up the fire escapes, the skullcopter chasing them with laser fire, until they reached the roof. Roll turned and fired a circular saw into the skullcopter's rotors, cutting off one of the blades. The skullcopter teetered midair and began to sink toward the street as she, Mega Man, and Rush raced across the rooftop toward the other end of the building.

The adjacent alley was web-free and too narrow for a skullcopter to pursue them. They jumped over the ledge, controlling their fall by hopping side to side from the facing walls. As they landed on the dumpsters below, a pair of skullcopters hovered into view above the two buildings. Mega Man took aim and fired at one of the skullcopter's vertebrae-shaped tails. It spun out of control, crashing into the second skullcopter, and they fell in a smoldering mass on top of the brick roof.

"All right, nice shooting Mega!" Roll cheered as they jumped off the dumpster.

"I gotta feeling that was just a warm-up," replied Mega Man, thinking grimly that he'd have to be careful where he shot down skullcopters to avoid any serious property damage. "C'mon, we gotta make it to the Bay Bridge and get a copy of the web to Dr. Light!"

He darted down the alley, Rush at his heels.

Roll was about to follow but stopped short and whirled around. She could have sworn she had just heard something squeak, but she saw nothing. Scratching her head, she turned back toward Mega Man, then looked up.

A flock of battontons was flapping above their heads.

"Battonton spy bats!" she called to Mega Man.

"They'll report our position to Wily! We can't let any get away!" Mega Man replied, firing up at the flock.

The battontons scattered in all directions, squeaking frantically, crashing into each other and thudding into the walls of the alley as they zoomed around to avoid being hit.

Roll transformed her utility arm into a Digimatic garbage disposal and powered it on. It began buzzing, creating a vortex that sucked the battontons into its spinning blades, their remnants shooting out of the garbage disposal's vents as a cloud of gray, foul-smelling (and likely toxic) dust.

Rush snapped at the battontons, leaping as best as he could to snatch them out of midair, then wringing them furiously on the ground until their wings fell off.

Soon, the dirty alley was littered with torn ripstop wings, spy cam eyes, and broken circuitry. It looked like they had gotten all the battontons, except—

Rush barked madly at the end of the alley. He turned to look at Mega Man imploringly, whining.

"A spy-bot got away!" groaned Mega Man. "That's okay boy, you did your best," he added, scratching Rush between the ears. "C'mon, we gotta keep moving."

* * *

Dr. Wily steered the Robo-Spider out of the city and was heading toward Dr. Light's supercomputer. Meanwhile, Proto Man joined the Robot Masters in the city to hunt for Mega Man and Roll.

He stood in the opening of a skulltank's shooting turret, his arms folded on top of the edge. Cut Man, Guts Man, and Quick Man sat on top of the skulltank's hull, hitching a ride as the skulltank cruised down Main Street, crushing parking meters and smashing aside small cars in its way.

Guts Man's head swiveled back and forth as he glowered at the lifeless street. "Where is that tin twerp? I'm gonna crush him into Mega dust!"

 _"_ _Relax,_ Gutsy! You'll crack a circuit!" replied Proto Man.

A dark shape the size of a tennis ball zig-zagged toward them from the sky.

"A spy bat!" announced Cut Man as the battonton fluttered in front of Proto Man.

Proto Man uncrossed his arms. "Hand over the surveillance video." The spy bat gave a squeak, then turned around. Its eyes lit up like a movie projector, and it beamed a camera feed of Mega Man, Roll, and Rush running through a recognizable section of the city. "Bingo! We've found him on fifty-second street headed north toward the bay bridge."

"No problem I'll get them!" said Quick Man, bounding off the skulltank and streaking down the street in a red blur, making a sharp L-shaped turn at the first intersection.

"Hey, stick with the group!" Proto Man called uselessly. He looked over at the building next to them, noting the open floor plan of its first floor, and smiled. "Looks like we'll need a shortcut…"

* * *

Mega Man and Roll had been careful to stay off the main roads; it seemed the longer the night went on, the more skullcopter patrols appeared in the sky. They were just crossing a street after waiting for a skullcopter to pass overhead when Rush came to a halt, his nose in the air sniffing, growling lightly.

Mega Man and Roll gathered around him, tensing. "Picking up a micro scent boy?" asked Mega Man.

Roll scanned the web-draped skyscrapers and the empty cars abandoned in the streets, some with their doors left hanging open. "I don't see anything…maybe his scent circuits are damaged too!"

Something rumbled behind them, then there was a warm blast of dust and rubble as a skulltank burst out of the lobby an office building behind them. It bounced down the curb as it wheeled around to face them, its hatch opening.

"Gee, I like dramatic entrances, don't you, Mega?" Proto Man fired at them with his plasma cannon.

Mega Man, Roll, and Rush turned to run, but then Quick Man seemed to teleport in front of them. A shining _Quick Boomerang_ swept through the air like a scythe. Mega Man and Roll both gasped involuntarily and jumped back, clutching their right forearms.

Mega Man looked down. There was a deep gash through his communicator. It sparked weakly then died. _Great,_ he thought in aggravation, _That had to have been a one-in-a-million shot._ First Rush's jetmode, now this…could this night get any worse?

"My communicator's out!" he shouted to Roll.

"Mine too!" she called back.

"Ha now you can't call for help!" said Quick Man triumphantly, dashing around behind them.

"We don't need help taking _you_ down!" said Roll drawing her toaster cannon and whipping around to fire at Quick Man, but Quick Man dodged and the brilliant blast hit Cut Man and Guts Man (who had just leaped out from behind the skulltank) instead. They crashed through one side of a brick hotel and out the other.

"Oh shit sorry!" Quick Man cried after them, horrorstruck.

The skulltank charged past Quick Man, firing a combination of lasers and plasma blasts. Mega Man, Roll, and Rush pelted down the street.

"We sure could use some backup," called Roll as a laser flashed overhead. Proto Man was corralling them in the opposite direction that they needed to go.

Mega Man looked ahead at a squat, multi-tiered building with curved walls of glass windows. _"Robo Museum!"_ he called back, reading the stone sign out front aloud. "We'll get some in here!"

They tried the front door, which was open, and slipped inside at the same instant tank fire demolished the sign.

* * *

Though popular among kids and tourists, the Robo Museum was often labeled 'kitsch' and ridiculed by locals. It had a strange stuffy smell of warm plastic, like an indoor playground. Mannequins of famous robots stood on raised platforms all around the main floor, from the boxy robots with lightbulb eyes and accordion arms and legs from the sixties, to shiny chrome-plated designs popular in the eighties. The mannequins for Mega Man, Rush, and Roll shared a roped off pedestal in the center of the main exhibit hall, facing Proto Man's mannequin, who was grouped with Cut Man and Guts Man as 'Dr. Wily's Most Notorious.'

Mega Man and Roll crept past mannequins of a robo-maid with claw arms and googly eyes on springs, a large-jawed butler-bot with silver skin, and a round-bodied prototype robo-officer.

Roll paused to examine a display of early androids, sticking out her tongue. "Ick! Uncanny Valley alert…"

Mega Man waved a hand at her. "Shh!" He could hear metallic feet stomping outside.

* * *

Guts Man knocked the Robo Museum's front door off its hinges. "The little twerp's gotta be in here somewhere…"

"Let's split up!" said Proto Man as he stalked off toward the 'Robots in Fiction' exhibit hall. Cut Man and Guts Man (both scraped-up and cross) toward the Retro Robots exhibit, leaving Modern Robots to Quick Man.

For the first time in his life, Quick Man slowed down, came to a halt, and looked around.

"Why did they have to run in here? This place is creepy as hell."

In the darkness, the mannequins looked almost alive somehow, as though the empty shells weren't quite as empty as they seemed. Quick Man wished there was more light to dispel this illusion. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw one shift. He gave a small yelp, and without thinking fired several _Quick Boomerangs._ They tore around the room in flashing circles, cutting through mannequins like a weed whacker. Disembodied heads and arms fell to he ground, rolling underfoot, startling him further.

* * *

Roll watched from the second-floor balcony, smirking. She had moved Mega Man's mannequin with a simple length of fishing line attached to a hook. She waited, watching Quick Man blunder into range, then pushed a brass bust of Count Calculus (the Robo Museum's founder) over the railing.

It hit Quick Man with a satisfying _wham_ , pinning him to the floor with its weight. Quick Man lay motionless, his eyes shut.

Mega Man, who had ambushed Cut Man and Guts Man in the Retro Robot exhibit, came into the room, giving Roll a thumbs up.

"Nice going! Now to put his boomerang power to better use."

He reached for one of the flat external blasters on Quick Man's arm, copying his weapon data.

The shadowy shape of Proto Man, alerted by the noise, entered the room, blaster drawn. He caught sight of Mega Man and went slightly rigid.

Roll, who did not know what had transpired in the dream last time Mega Man an Proto Man had fought, didn't notice the increased tension and immediately shouted, "Your cronies are down and you're next, jackass!"

She threw Guts Man's mannequin, which Proto Man ducked. Proto Man and Mega Man fired at the same time; Mega Man dodging a blue plasma blast that zipped over his shoulder, and Proto Man stepping back as the _Quick Boomerang_ shot toward him. The _Quick Boomerang's_ course bent upward, slicing through the ceiling like a chef knife through vegetables. A small avalanche of glass and steel cascaded between them, creating a screen of plaster dust and rubble.

Mega Man beckoned to Roll. "As fun as humiliating the Bad-bots is, we gotta get going, Wily could be heading to the supercomputer, and we still don't know how to stop his Robo-Spider!"

Roll sighed, casting a repulsed look back at Proto Man. "Fine, we'll go…"

* * *

Mega Man and Roll darted out of the rear exit of the Robo Museum, hoping to lose all of Dr. Wily's robots, but almost immediately a skullcopter bore down on them from above. They had no choice but to scatter in opposite directions to avoid its spotlight. Roll saw Mega Man wave his arm—motioning to her to go on as he and Rush ran the other way. She waved back. They'd meet in the next street.

But the next intersection was blocked with webbing, so Roll continued on, knowing Mega Man must be facing a similar dead end. Behind her, she could hear the skullcopter hovering down the street, the wind from its blades whipping up her ponytail and driving her several blocks away, until finally it turned down a different street. She stopped running, looking around.

She had veered so far off course that she was in a part of the city that she didn't recognize. It looked older and neglected, quiet in a dodgy sort of way, many of the buildings uninhabitable and scheduled for demolition.

Roll had no idea where Mega Man was now in relation to her, and without a working communicator had no way to contact him. She listened hard for a plasma fight, but all she could hear were the distant motors of skullcopters and skulltanks. Her best bet of finding Mega Man again was to meet him at the Bay Bridge. She gazed down a forlorn street filled with potholes and broken bottles, certain if she went in this direction long enough, she'd cut across to the river. She sped off, carefully avoiding webbing, potholes, loose bricks, and running into no one.

She had been running for some time when something ahead caught her eye—the ground appeared to be _glowing_. But as she drew closer, she realized the 'glow' was actually a freshly fallen layer of fluffy snow between two dingy buildings. That was odd, the night was clear. Roll stopped running, noticing tracks in the snow. Though the lines were indistinct, she could make out flat bottoms with a circular indent. It looked like a Robot Master had walked through here…were Dr. Wily's other Robot Masters slinking around in the dark?

Roll left the street, following the footprints through the snow. If she couldn't catch up to Mega Man, she'd be sure none of the Robot Masters could either. But she didn't have to go far—the footprints went around a corner and up to a metal door in a large, windowless building.

 _Some hiding place,_ Roll thought, smirking. _Their footprints lead me right to it!_

She wrenched the door open. In front of her lay stairs leading down into a yawning, black basement. Roll hesitated, then stepped inside.

It was as if someone had poured water down the stairs and let it freeze. She slipped instantly at the threshold and tumbled all the way down, the back of her head whacking every stair. She shot out of the bottom as though sliding out of a chute, coming to a stop some fifty feet away from the stairs. Groaning, she sat up, rubbing her head.

It was colder in here than outside, and pitch black with no starlight or moonlight. Roll pulled an emergency glow band from her utility arm, snapped it onto her wrist, and looked around.

The sight that greeted her wiped Dr. Wily and his Robo-Spider completely out of her mind.

It looked like a vast meat locker with mirrored floors—except, instead of storing meat and pork, it contained an assortment of robots, most frozen in blocks of ice as clear as glass, others dangling from the ceiling on hooks, missing limbs, their eyes wide and staring.

A prickling sensation tickled the back of Roll's neck. What had she just walked into?

She lifted her communicator to her mouth. "Mega, I think I've found something—something big—"

Her communicator hissed. Oh, right. Quick Man had damaged it. She'd have to remember to reinforce it back in her workshop to be boomerang proof. She got to her feet and began walking around.

It was like strolling through a bizarre exhibit, stranger than the Robo Museum, the light illuminating new robots as she walked further in. She recognized teller-bots, maintenance-bots, cleaning-bots, construction-bots, sales-bots, a robotic casino dealer, a robo-chauffeur, a robotic tiger, and—

_Oh, no…_

It was too horrible to look at. Frozen solid in a prism of ice was the human stranger who had helped her find Dr. Wily in Fun World. He had one hand thrown out ahead of him, as though warding off an attack, the index finger of his red-gloved hand just breaking the surface of his icy tomb, but it had not been enough to save him. The human looked like he hadn't even seen it coming. He must have gotten too close to a scheme, and paid for it. Roll had warned him not to meddle in dangerous criminal affairs. A human could never contend with a Robot Master…

"Those cowards…" murmured Roll, trembling with rage. How could they do this to a human? It was a new low. Whoever had done this, she'd find them and make them pay—

The finger twitched.

Roll leaped two feet in the air. She stared at the finger in shock, wondering if she had imagined it. Hardly daring to hope, her insides squirming at the idea of walking toward what might be a frozen corpse, Roll stepped up to the ice for a closer look.

Roll jumped back again as the whole ice block shuttered as though something was trying to break out. It seemed impossible, but was the human still alive?

If he was alive, then there was no time to waste. Roll transformed her utility arm into a portable heater, turned up its settings, and began waving it over the ice.

The ice shrunk away from the heat, then suddenly broke apart in a slushy rush. The human crumbled along with it onto the floor in a wet heap. To Roll's immense relief, she heard him cough up water as though half drowned, his body trembling all over. He stared ahead, apparently in shock, water dripping from his hair. Roll noted his glasses and formal attire, which he hadn't been wearing last time they had met.

Roll bent over him. "Hey, hey…it's going to be okay. Don't try to move. You were frozen." She looked around wildly. He needed a blanket to keep him warm, perhaps even a medical kit—though where would she get either here?

But the human wasn't heeding her. "Where's is he? I'll kill him for good this time," he spat suddenly. His voice sounded different, impatient, haughty, and nasally. She almost didn't recognize it.

Roll frowned at him. "Where's who?"

The human, not seeming to register her question, sat up with some difficulty. He took off his water-splattered glasses and tucked them in an inside pocket of his jacket, then looked up at her and gave a start, splashing backward in the puddle. One hand shot toward her with its palm up, emitting a bright spark like a camera flash. Roll felt a brief but very strong static shock similar to touching a doorknob in a dry room, but nothing worse. The human winced, grabbing his hand as though it had burned him, and recoiled further from Roll.

Roll narrowed her eyes, something hardening like lead inside. The red hands, those pale eyes, the style of attack…but it couldn't be…

"Let me see your arm."

When the 'human' didn't oblige, she grabbed it from him, rolling up his sodden sleeve. She recognized his forearm at once—beneath the red glove was a thin casing of armor, yellow on the bottom, black with a lightning bolt on top.

"…Elec Man?!"

"Yes, I suppose there is no point in hiding that now," Elec Man responded coldly, yanking his arm back.

Roll stared. The stranger from Fun World…was Elec Man? One of the Bad-bots? The Robot Master she had just fought outside a movie theater, at a railway track substation, at the Elm Street Bridge, and inside the astronauts' dream?

"But…you saved me from the robosaurs," she said in disbelief.

"I didn't ' _save'_ you. I drove you home, but I only did that because Proto Man ordered me to."

It _was_ him. Roll felt disoriented, as though she had been hit on the head. "You were acting on _Proto Man's_ orders?"

"I have no choice _but_ to act on his orders," Elec Man said stiffly. "I thought it would have been smarter to just get rid of you, but he wanted to give you the antivirus and get you to safety."

Roll couldn't accept it. "But then at Fun World…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"But…you were there…I know it was you…you helped me find Wily…"

Elec Man gave her a cold smile and repeated, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Roll's head was spinning.

So everything at Fun World had been an act after all, and she had fallen for it. He had probably told her about Fright Island as a last-ditch effort to lure her into a trap. She felt furious, and a bit of a burning sensation in her eyes she couldn't quite explain. Fine. She'd be over it. It wasn't like they had become friends or anything. But she thought they could at least be allies…

She stood up, surveying the arrogant Robot Master sprawled on the floor and wondering how she had ever bought the shy, awkward, human-who-saved-frogs-from-being-stepped-on routine. How could she be so stupid? Now that his cover was blown, it was like he was a completely different person!

Well…he _had_ mentioned something about being Dr. Wily's most powerful robot back in the park, and Mega Man had always said he hated getting hit with a _Thunder Beam_ worst of all. She hadn't believed him at the time, but now she saw him for what he truly was. At least the mystery was over.

"You look like you're operating at your last percentage of energy…or less…" she commented. He'd be easy to trash for good, which she felt he royally deserved, but she supposed Mega Man wouldn't like that if he ever found out. She seized a handful of Elec Man's hair and dragged him to his feet (she had to dig pretty hard into his scalp to accomplish this as his hair was almost too short to get any grip). "…But at least you can still stand."

Elec Man hissed in pain and squirmed out of her grip, slipped pathetically it the water, then glared at her in haughty defiance. He looked miserable in his ruined suit that was soaked in freezing water and clinging to his armor. Good.

"Alright, you're coming with me," Roll decided. She grabbed his arm again. Elec Man struggled feebly, but was unable to stop her from disabling his communicator. Then Roll drew a circular saw and pointed it at him. "If I ask you questions, I expect you to answer them. One wrong move—don't roll your eyes at me!—One wrong move, or if you try to run for it, I'll lop your head off and take you in pieces, got it?"

Elec Man held up his hands with a bit more attitude than she'd like, but otherwise seemed compliment (though not intimidated).

She looked around at the weird collection of frozen robots. "This is—"

"Crude and amateurish," said Elec Man.

"I was going to say kinda freaky," she said, looking at Elec Man dubiously. "What is this place?"

"What does it look like?"

Roll raised her utility arm warningly.

Elec Man's face was completely deadpan, yet somehow tactlessly conveyed that he thought she was really stupid. "It's a chop shop for robo-drones."

"Who did all this?"

Elec Man seemed to think this was obvious too. "Ice Man."

" _Ice Man?"_ Roll scoffed. Was that who the footprints belonged too? They had looked kinda small... _"He_ did all this? But I thought he was with Wily!"

"And Wily thought he was dead."

"He's no longer with you guys? Then he's—"

"Rogue," Elec Man finished impatiently as though she needed to be helped along.

Rogue. A robot who broke protocols and obeyed no humans. "But he was one of Dr. Light's! How could he go rogue?" she asked incredulously, shifting her footing as the slush on the ground began to refreeze.

"Is it really that surprising after Proto Man?"

"After Proto Man what?'"

"After Proto Man betrayed his creator, what else would I mean?" Elec Man drawled boredly, clearly thinking she was asking stupid questions.

Roll wasn't understanding the point Elec Man was trying to make, and was tiring of his superior tone. "What does Wily have to do with anything?"

Elec Man raised a brow so high it was almost indecent. "Uh…no, I meant Dr. Light."

"Don't insult Dr. Light! He didn't build that dick."

"Oh yes he did. …Didn't you know?"

Roll found something a bit unnerving about the way Elec Man was looking at her as though she believed the moon was made of aged swiss.

"Dr. Light or Mega would have told me if Proto Man was built by Dr. Light," she said, half to herself.

Elec Man shrugged. "Maybe they didn't, but only a fool would think he was built by anyone but Dr. Light."

"I don't believe you," said Roll spitefully. After all, he had lied about his identity at Fun World, why wouldn't he lie about this?

"I don't care," said Elec Man, then added in a low, frustrated voice that Roll could just make out, "I really, _really_ don't care."

"But why wouldn't they tell me?" she demanded, feeling this was the main hole in Elec Man's assertion. She jabbed her circular saw nearer, nearly nicking Elec Man's neck, who stumbled backward his arms going back up.

"That's a joke, right?" he said snidely. "It was either for your protection, or they want as much to do with him as Proto Man wants to do with Dr. Light."

Roll stared at Elec Man, trying to puzzle these last words out, a chill running down her spine.

"Okay, I want you to tell me _everything_ you _think_ you know," she said finally.

"No."

Roll pressed the circular saw toward his throat again.

He smiled insolently. "Not my secrets to tell."

They glared at each other in a deadlock, Roll wanting answers now, but knowing she wouldn't get them without reprogramming Elec Man first, and in order to do that, she needed Dr. Light's help…

Then a gruff voice spoke up from behind them.

"Oh…company."

Roll whirled. Two disc-like eyes the size of hockey pucks glowed icy blue in the dark, their pupils fixed on Roll.

"Musta left the back door open…"

Roll had forgotten about Ice Man, but wasn't completely surprised at his appearance as she hadn't bothered to keep her voice down.

Ice Man stepped into the light of her glow band. He looked exactly like Roll remembered: short and stocky, a rectangular panel for a mouth that flashed as he talked, and a navy bodysuit with a hood trimmed in synthetic fur like that of an arctic fox.

"Charming abode, Ice Man, I see you've really made it since leaving Wily," Elec Man called over. "That must have been you who cleared out all the vaults during the robosaur attack. You've been skulking around New York robbing banks whenever law enforcement is distracted by one of Wily's schemes."

"Wily's team was a bunch of losers. I'm better off on my own," said Ice Man proudly, either not noticing the derision in Elec Man's voice or not caring. "I started off by robbing banks, but now I've been making cold, hard cash by selling robots parts on the black market. Crappy drones don't fetch much, but lo and behold _you_ come around." He pointed to Elec Man. "A Robot Master is worth a lot of money. I could hold you for ransom, get leverage with your former boss, eh…?"

Elec Man gave him a cold, expressionless stare.

"…Or I could sell you piece by piece to competitors, make more money."

"You can't sell a Robot Master for parts on the black market you idiot," spoke up Elec Man. "No one cares about drones, but if you turned up with something that used to be sentient you'll make enemies."

"Don't tell me what to do!" snapped Ice Man. "You always think you're so much better than everyone! Well, maybe you're not as valuable as you think you are…"

"Hold it! No one's selling anyone for parts today!" Roll broke in, pointing her circular saw toward Ice Man.

"This has nothin' to do with you, Light-bot!" growled Ice Man.

" _You're_ a Light-bot too!" she countered.

"So? Light's a doofy old coot."

"Don't you dare say that about Dr. Light!" said Roll, firing up. She wasn't going to take it, not after Elec Man had just dishonored Dr. Light's reputation by saying he built _Proto Man,_ of all robots.

"I'll say whatever I like in my domain," Ice Man jeered. "And are you really going to defend pretty boy there?"

"He's not a pretty boy!" said Roll, disgusted. She cast Elec Man a sweeping look, who wrinkled his nose at her, then admitted, "Well, maybe he is, but in a creep way! And I'm not defending him, he's one of Wily's henchmen, so I'm taking him in!"

Ice Man chuckled darkly. "Oh, I don't think so. I might not be able to find a buyer willing to take one of Light's precious androids, but I can't let you blab to the police about my operations either." He lifted a hand, his palm facing Roll, the rows of frozen robots glittering behind him. "You ain't going _nowhere."_

**_To be continued…_ **


	16. Robo-Spider, Part 3

As a flurry built in Ice Man's hand, Roll ducked behind an ice cube block containing a road sweeping-bot, dragging Elec Man with her. The chilly blast of an _Ice Slasher_ beam swept past them, and a new layer of ice built upon a support pillar with a crackling sound.

"There's no place to hide!" Ice Man laughed.

 _Don't run off,_ Roll mouthed to Elec Man warningly before glaring through the ice at Ice Man. The nozzle of a homemade flamethrower unfolded from her utility arm. As Ice Man ran toward them, she let loose a stream of fire, the flamelight dancing off the ice blocks and vaporizing an incoming _Ice Slasher_. Ice Man scrambled hastily back.

Roll let the flamethrower cut off. "Ice Man, this is your only warning. Come back to the lab with me so you can be reprogrammed."

Ice Man's eyes flashed angrily, but he kept his distance. _"Reprogrammed?!"_

"Yeah, I bet Dr. Light could give you a complete personality rewrite as a sweet and gentle robot that liked snowball fights."

"How dare you threaten to make me into some kind of soft, weak-willed baby!"

"Kinda hard to be sympathetic when I can see a beheaded mechanic drone hanging on a meat hook behind your shoulder!"

"That bot was a cheat who owed me money!" roared Ice Man. " _And_ he called me shortie! But look who's laughing now! I'll put his head back when he apologizes." He raised a hand and pointed upward. "I bet you think you're so smart fighting me with fire—well get a load of _this!"_

A thin white beam shot like a firework from his fingertip into the rows of meat hook rails running across the ceiling. Ice Man sprang away as puffy gray clouds bloomed into existence, heavy snowflakes the size of paper plates drifting downward. One fell on top of Roll, and a crust of ice began to form on her shoulders and on her hair.

Roll staggered backward as several more snowflakes landed on her, hastily breaking up the ice before it could build up into a thick encasement. Her boots slipped as the floor became as smooth as a skating rink. She could hear Ice Man laughing as her left arm began to stiffen, her hand hanging by her side like a frozen club, snow freezing against her face.

Roll pointed her flamethrower into the clouds, firing a long plume of fire. Oily smoke wafted into the room, melting the ice gathering on her shoulders as the clouds diminish into a transparent haze. As an afterthought, she glanced over her shoulder to check on Elec Man, who was knocking ice off his arms, his feet frozen solid to the floor but had otherwise been too far outside the snow's purview to be affected.

Ice Man stopped laughing and began darting around the room, attempting to freeze Roll with an _Ice Slasher_ beam. Roll chased after him and retaliated with fireballs, some hitting the incoming _Ice Slasher_ beams, others melting blocks of ice, whose occupants stirred back to life, blinked incuriously at the battle scene before shuffling off toward an exit.

But Roll couldn't keep this up forever; her flamethrower was running out of fuel. She was about to switch weapons, when she caught sight of a tank of highly explosive chemicals lying on the floor next to a stack of supplies. Sliding under an _Ice Slasher_ beam, Roll ran toward it.

Ice Man stopped short, waving his arms earnestly.

"Wait, no—"

But Roll kicked the tank toward him (which slid like a toboggan across the icy floor, its contents sloshing around) and shot one last fireball.

There was a great explosion that shook the support pillars and rattled the meathook chains, and a few of the ice blocks shifted. Ice Man lay prone on the floor.

Thinking she had won, Roll raced forward, but Ice Man sprang to his feet before she could reach him with an angry bellow. His optics were blazing white hot, his frame smoking. He pointed a finger angrily her.

"You win this time, _Light-bot_ , but you haven't seen the last of _me!"_

Ice Man whirled around and ran. She heard him patter off into the darkness, saw a chink of light as another door opened, then slam closed with a bang that echoed through the meat locker.

Roll considered going after Ice Man, but looked back at Elec Man, who glared back imperiously, his feet still rooted to the floor. Of the two Robot Masters, his current status of being part of Dr. Wily's army made him the more valuable. She reformed her utility arm into a hand and stalked toward him.

"Let's move."

* * *

Proto Man returned to the skulltank, planning to head Mega Man off at the Bay Bridge with Bright Man, who Proto Man had deliberately left behind before. Proto Man wasn't happy about his new companion, but Cut Man, Guts Man, and Quick Man all needed minor repairs and had been picked up by a skullcopter to return to Dr. Wily.

During the long minutes of cruising through the web-strewn streets, Bright Man talked animatedly about his plans to dazzle Dr. Wily by being the first robots to punch Mega Man's lights out. Proto Man was relieved when his communicator began flashing, causing an interruption.

"Hey Proto Man," came Crash Man's voice. "I forgot Elec Man updated the security protocols. I accidentally locked myself out of storage sector B's computer mainframe. Do you know what the new password is?"

"For storage sector B? Dunno, ask Elec Man."

"Elec Man's not on base."

"Uh…he's not? Call you back." Proto Man ended the transmission and frowned. Elec Man should have been back at least an hour ago. He started a new comm call. "Proto Man to Elec Man."

No response.

"C'mon Elec Man, pick up…you didn't fall into a web, or some water?" he murmured to himself. He opened the top hatch of the skulltank. "Hey, I gotta take care of something," he told Bright Man. "Go to Bay Bridge without me, will ya?"

"But what about Mega Man?" protested Bright Man, taking over the controls. "We're almost there, and two bright bulbs are better than one, haha!"

"Nah, you got this!" said Proto Man, waving a hand with false encouragement as he climbed out of the skulltank slid off the hull and into the street. He was going to need to find some battontons, fast.

* * *

Mega Man was counting on meeting Roll at the Bay Bridge. So far, he had heard no sounds of a fight echoing across the bizarrely quiet city, so he hoped she was still run too. He and Rush had been lucky to avoid any attention from Dr. Wily's robots since ditching them at the Robo Museum.

Yet Bay Bridge, a long suspension bridge that crossed a wide part of the river, was empty, no sign of Roll. The lights that normally adorned the suspension cables were out, but Mega Man could see the glow of electricity in the distance. That meant Dr. Wily's spider hadn't gone this way, and that the university was safe. They'd be there in a few minutes—

Something whistled through the air, then a small explosion blew a chunk out of the bridge ahead of them. Mega Man whirled. Bright Man was riding toward them in a skulltank, waving.

"Hey Mega Man, long time no see!"

"Bright Man!"

"That's me, haha! And I'm here to lighten up your life—with ten-thousand watts, that is!"

Mega Man's vision went white. The sudden light after so much darkness was like getting stabbed in the eyes with knives. He squeezed them shut and fired blindly over in Bright Man's direction, but didn't hear any of the blasts connect.

"Not such a great shot with your optical circuits overloaded, _eeehhh_ Mega? Haha!" Bright Man taunted.

Mega Man was angry. He hadn't come all this way to get defeated by _Bright Man._

He reached down toward Rush, who was cowering by his knees, his fingertips brushing his forehead. "Rush, you gotta take this electronic recording to Dr. Light, just in case I don't make it!" he said, transferring the Robo-Spider schematic to Rush. He pushed him toward the other end of the bridge. "Go boy, it's up to you now!"

Mega Man listened as Rush's paws clicked lightly across the concrete and disappeared, then he ran head first toward the engine roar of the skulltank.

"Now to crush you like a tin can!" Bright Man sang out.

Mega Man dropped into a slide, the shadow of the tank falling over him.

"Crunched him!" Bright Man cheered, stopping the skulltank.

Mega Man pointed his plasma cannon up into the inside of the tank. "Guess again!" he shouted, firing at the fuel tank.

A wall of sound pressed down on Mega Man, and he blacked out.

* * *

Using his nose as a guide, Rush ran up a hill, weaved through side streets, squeezed under a fence, then tore across the campus of the University of Robotics and into the Hall of Scientific Discovery. He bounded up the stairs to Professor Henson's office, where he gave a sharp bark at the door. Professor Henson opened it, gasping as Rush hurtled inside. Rush nosed an input cable dangling from the computer monitor, butted Dr. Light's hand with his head, then looked up, giving a sharp bark.

"There's something inside your head circuits?" interpreted Dr. Light. Rush barked again, wagging his tail. "Connect them up to my computer, is that it, boy?" said Dr. Light, grabbing the input cable.

Rush's tail wagged against the desk leg furiously as Dr. Light slipped off his helmet and connected the cable. Dr. Light tapped a few commands into his computer, and a second later a series of blueprints cascaded onto the monitor. "The spider web's schematic!" exclaimed Dr. Light, grinning broadly. "Mega did it!"

* * *

Roll forced Elec Man to walk ahead through the vacant streets so she could keep an eye on him at all times, but Elec Man wasn't keeping the pace she wanted to set. It was difficult to say if he was lagging behind on purpose, or if he really was this low on energy, and he seemed completely unfazed by any threats meant to motivate him to move faster.

"I can't believe I'm saving you," Roll muttered as they crossed an avenue with webbed trees like cotton candy.

"It doesn't seem very smart to me either."

Roll's fist tightened into a ball, but she resisted losing her temper. "I'm going to take you to Dr. Light. He's going to reprogram you to be nicer, then you're going to spill everything about Wily's fortress."

"Whatever."

"We're going to need to sneak around your little attack-bot friends…of course, you would know all about how to do that after sneaking around after Fun World."

"I still have no idea what you're talking about."

Roll gave him an annoyed look. It would be immensely satisfying to punch his teeth out right now, but she still had questions. "What makes you so certain Dr. Light built Proto Man anyway?"

"Because Wily can't build a robot that advanced."

 _"_ _Advanced?"_ repeated Roll, scrunching up her face. Was Proto Man supposed to be an advanced-android too?

"He and Mega Man also look alike," Elec Man added as though this was another glaring piece of evidence that couldn't be overlooked.

Roll scoffed. "Well duh, Dr. _Wily_ stole the Bomber equipment from Dr. Light. They're both bomber robots."

"They share other physical similarities."

Roll had a funny feeling Elec Man was referring to something other than their armor and weapons. "…Just how much do you know about Proto Man anyway?"

But Elec Man seemed to realize he had said too much and became clam-like. Annoyed, she pushed him along a supermarket's truck loading dock, remembering how she had once noticed facial similarities between Mega Man and Proto Man. Feeling unnerved, Roll decided to think about something else. She glanced over at Elec Man, whose hair had frozen into jagged points, and his suit had become stiff and even more uncomfortable looking than it must have been even before it had become drenched. He really did look human. The last robot she had met that looked this human had been Top Man. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Now that she had made the connection, she noticed a resemblance between the two…

"Back there…what did Ice Man mean, 'former boss'? Who built you?"

"No one of concern."

Roll looked down at his suit, appraising it against his cold demeanor and evasive answer. "What, are you some sort of gangster or something? Like a real one? That's kinda cool."

"…You have no idea what you're talking about."

They were crossing beneath the drive-thru overhang of a bank (which looked a bit like it was trapped in a giant cat's cradle under all the webbing) when Proto Man dropped suddenly from the roof into the path in front of them.

Both Roll and Elec Man jumped in surprise.

"Proto Man!" Roll cried.

"What took you so long?" Elec Man complained at the same time.

Proto Man stood up, then went as rigid as marble, a battonton fluttering above his head, squeaking excitedly.

"Hey, uh…what's, uh…what's going on?"

His plasma cannon was roving between Roll and Elec Man, as though not sure who to shoot.

Elec Man rolled his eyes. "Why do you always assume something happened? Are you _really_ that clueless?"

"I gotta check...she's my little sister."

Roll gave him a funny look, feeling a small swoop in her chest.

"You're an idiot," said Elec Man. One thing Roll could appreciate about Elec Man was how he talked down to Proto Man as though he were the stupidest robot on the planet.

Proto Man's stance seemed to soften, and he pointed his plasma cannon at Roll.

"And you didn't try anything either?"

Despite the chill, Roll suddenly felt very hot, realizing what Proto Man was talking about.

"I'm not into _him!_ " she spat vehemently, stepping hastily away from Elec Man as though he had morphed into a giant leech.

Proto Man ignored this gesture. He was edging further into the overhang as though to position himself between herself and Elec Man, the battonton coming to rest on an ATM, blinking its over-sized eyes. "I know he's easy on the eyes, but _trust_ me bots like him can be heartless bastards, impossible to please."

"I know that! Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No, but you're not too picky about your robots either. Gyro Man, Enker, Top Man…"

"Top Man?" Elec Man repeated, giving Roll a quick, judging look.

"That's none of your business!" shouted Roll, her voice ringing off the overhang as she glared at Proto Man, ignoring Elec Man. "And there's nothing between me and any of those robots!"

"Glad to hear it!" said Proto Man.

"Proto Man, can we go already?" Elec Man cut in sharply. "I don't want to be in the middle of your family drama."

"Just hold on a minute," said Proto Man, waving off Elec Man, his face still turned toward Roll. "You can't just go off with any bot you know nothing about. There are some real scumbags out there. Dr. Light really should warn you about these things. I'd give him a talking to, but—"

Proto Man cut off abruptly, as though the words had scorched his mouth.

Roll felt her world stop. "…But what?"

"But—uh—you know how it is."

Roll could scarcely breathe. "It's awkward talking to your creator?" she put in for him.

"Well…Yeah." Proto Man said, relieved.

It was like being punched in the gut. Proto Man was built by Dr. Light. _Her_ father.

"You have no right, you're never _there,"_ she said, her voice dripping with acid. Proto Man looked taken aback. "Besides, how can you lecture me when you hang out with creeps like Wily and _him?"_ she said, jabbing a thumb at Elec Man.

This time Proto Man was on the defensive. "None of your business, besides, it's different."

"How?! And after the con _he_ pulled for Wily at Fun World—"

"I wasn't at _Fun World_ ," Elec Man said as though the idea were mortally offensive.

"Yeah, he wasn't in Fun World," vouched Proto Man, giving Roll a puzzled frown.

Roll nearly exploded. "See? How can you take his side over your own sister?!"

"I'm not. Ugh. This is confusing. C'mon Elec Man, let's go."

But Roll lunged, grabbing Elec Man by the arm and holding a circular saw up to his head. "He's not going anywhere! I'm taking him hostage!"

Elec Man sighed. _"Fantastic."_

Proto Man snorted derisively, stepping closer. "If anyone's going to be a hostage, little sis, it's _you."_

"I'm no hostage!"

"Alright then, I'll fight you for him."

"You're on!"

Elec Man looked down at the tire mark-streaked pavement, supremely unimpressed by the proceedings.

The moment Roll moved her utility arm away from Elec Man's head to aim at Proto Man, Proto Man moved forward. Before she knew what was happening, she lost her grip on Elec Man and was stumbling backward. Webbing snagged around Roll's arms and ankles, swinging her back toward the teller window.

"Hey! That's cheating!" she shouted in rage as she became entangled.

Proto Man grinned at her. "Yup!"

Roll wrenched her arm free and fired as many circular saws as she had stockpiled in her utility arm at Proto Man and Elec Man. Snickering, Proto Man shoved Elec Man out of the way, and they whisked around the side of the bank and out of sight, the circular saws pounding into a building on the opposite side of the street. The battonton gave a terrified squeak then flapped after them.

Roll, left behind to cut herself free using a hacksaw, began to mull over what she now believed to be true. She felt confused and angry. Did Mega Man know about Proto Man? Of course he knew.

...But why hadn't he told her?

* * *

After they had fled a safe distance, Proto Man and Elec Man slowed down. Elec Man's eyes were beginning to droop, looking toward the verge of powering down.

Proto Man looked Elec Man over as though seeing him for the first time. "What happened to you?"

"I was jumped by Ice Man!" Elec Man burst out angrily. He seemed annoyed that Proto Man had just gotten around to asking this. "Did you morons even search for his body?!"

"Nope. Huh." Proto Man checked behind them for pursuit, grinning. "Good thing I showed up, I think my sister would have killed you," he said, clearly bursting with pride. "I outta reconsider letting her join Wily…maybe she really can tell who's a lowlife. She'd be great on my team—"

"She didn't know Dr. Light created you until tonight," Elec Man interrupted in an undertone.

This caught Proto Man by surprise. He turned sharply to Elec Man, his expression deflating. "What do you mean she didn't know? Mega's known for like a year now…but they didn't tell her about me?"

"Does it surprise you? After everything you've done?"

"…No," Proto Man responded sullenly. Then he changed the subject gruffly. "C'mon, there's an energy can back in the jet—and this time I'm making sure you make it there, no side trips with Ice Man."

* * *

Elec Man dropped Proto Man off at the Robo-Spider before flying back to Skull Fortress to return to full operational status.

The sky was beginning to lighten. The Robo-Spider was scuttling across the frosty countryside at full speed, only pausing to steal energy from an overhead power transmission tower.

Dr. Wily laced his fingers together, watching the last of the energy meter fill. "That's it, Proto! My Robo-Spider is fully charged—No thanks to you bumblers!" he added, casting a dark look behind his shoulder. Guts Man, Cut Man, Quick Man, and Bright Man, who were standing in the tight space behind him, grimaced. "It's lucky I could fix you…We must move quickly to destroy the supercomputer before Mega Man can reach Dr. Light."

* * *

When Mega Man came too, he was at first confused where he was. He got up, shaking his head, which was ringing. It had only been a few minutes; the concussive force of the blast must have hit the weak point in his helmet, knocking him temporarily offline.

He staggered to his feet. The skulltank was laying in several smoldering hunks around him, illuminated by crackling flames. Mega Man didn't pause to search for Bright Man among the debris as he dashed down the bridge and off to the university and Professor Henson's office.

Professor Henson and Dr. Light were bent over a work table with their heads together as Mega Man walked inside. Dr. Light looked up. "Mega! Thank goodness!"

"We wondered where you must be when Rush turned up alone," said Professor Henson.

Mega Man glanced around the office. "Where's Roll?"

"Is she not with you?" asked Dr. Light.

"Quick Man—new Robot Master, one of Wily's I think—disabled our communicators, then we both got separated. I thought she'd be here by now, but she may have gotten held up fighting Wily's robots…you know how she is."

"If she's not here soon, I'll send one of the searcher-bots to find her," said Dr. Light with a rueful smile. He beckoned Mega Man toward the computer to show him what he and Professor Henson had been working on. "The web is made up of three small strands of wire." Dr. Light tapped the monitor with a stylus, zooming in on the model of Robo-Spider webbing. "Now we know how the energy flows through the web wires, all you have to do, Mega, is clamp my specially designed high-capacity electromagnetic mini battery to the positive and negative strands in the web wire, and it will reverse the flow of energy back to Wily's robot spider."

Dr. Light handed him a small black box, two cables wrapped neatly around its center.

"Piece of cake!" said Mega Man. Then he remembered. "Just one thing…Rush's jetmode is damaged."

"You can take the air raider," said Dr. Light.

Professor Henson pulled out a small communicator from a desk drawer. "And take this."

"Roll won't be happy when she finds I left without her," remarked Mega Man, accepting the communicator from Professor Henson.

"Fredrick and I will wait here for Roll," said Dr. Light. "I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything from her. Now hurry! There's no time to lose!"

* * *

The Robo-Spider scaled up the rocky hillside surrounding the supercomputer's military base with ease. It charged into the valley, crushing through the barbwire fence with its claws and knocking robo-soldiers aside, spraying webbing everywhere as the supercomputer's defenses became active. Soon, the entire base was powerless.

"Dr. Light's puny weapons are useless against my Robo-Spider!" Dr. Wily cackled. He pointed out one of the windows. "The dome, Proto! That's where Light keeps his supercomputer."

 _Yeah, like there was anywhere else,_ Proto Man thought, smirking.

The Robo-Spider crawled up the side of the cylindrical building, then crashed its head through the glass dome. Technician-bots scattered from the falling glass before becoming entangled in a thick stream of webbing wrapping itself around the computer like a gigantic net.

Dr. Wily rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Now, to pour a billion volts into Dr. Light's supercomputer!"

He flipped open the switch protector covering the giant red power depletion button. The battery behind them hummed, sending vibrations through the entire spider, rattling the windows. Emergency alarms began peeling upward from the supercomputer room.

"Any second now, it circuits will blow to bits!" Dr. Wily shouted over the noise. "At last! I've succeeded! There's no way Mega Man can stop me now!"

Proto Man smiled, looking up through the Robo-Spider's eye. "Uh, maybe not, Doc…but he's gunna give it his best shot!"

Dr. Wily followed Proto Man's gaze, catching sight of the air raider. "Mega Man! Not again! He mustn't stop me!" He turned on the Robot Masters, his eyes popping. "Robots, destroy that blue dweeb!"

* * *

The morning sunlight gleamed off the military base as Mega Man and Rush approached in the air raider. Below, Mega Man could see the scatted remnants of the supercomputer's defenses tangled together in webbing. The Robo-Spider itself was sitting on top of the dome, looking ironically like a real garden spider on top of a salt shaker at this distance. They dove downward, landing the air raider on a helicopter pad, then broke through a window and sped down a corridor into the supercomputer's control room.

"We're just in time!" said Mega Man aloud, examining the state of the supercomputer under the webbing.

"Yeah, just in time to get burned!"

The control room blazed with light. But in this smaller space, Mega Man was prepared for Bright Man. Rush had no problem sniffing out the Robot Master. Mega Man heard Bright Man's yelp of pain as Rush sank his teeth into his shin, then blasted in that direction with his plasma cannon. Bright Man fell backward, the bulb on his helmet breaking against the floor, and the blinding light died down _._

As his vision cleared, Mega Man quickly bent over Bright Man, reaching for the _Flash Stopper's_ screw heads at the top of Bright Man's head and copying his remaining weapon energy. A second later, Cut Man, Guts Man, and Quick Man burst into the room and had him surrounded.

Cut Man had transformed both arms into cannons, two _Rolling Cutters_ snipping together and pointed at Mega Man. Quick Man was zipping back and forth restlessly.

"I'm gunna crush you with my bare hands, Mega Man!" Guts Man bellowed, pounding his knuckles against an open palm.

"Sure, Gutsy…if you can find me!" said Mega Man, aiming his blaster into the air. A _Flash Stopper_ screwed out of the end and lit up like a small sun. With the _Flash Stopper's_ secondary vision enhancement, he was able to see through the glare and watched as Guts Man flailed around, smashing a giant fist into Cut Man, who fired. The _Rolling Cutters_ hit Quick Man, who also fired, a _Quick Boomerang_ making short work of Guts Man.

As the last of the _Flash Stopper_ weapon energy faded from his blaster, Mega Man surveyed the fallen Robot Masters, frowning. If Proto Man hadn't announced his presence by now, then he was probably sneaking up on him—

_BLAM._

The grate below him exploded. Mega Man had scarcely tumbled out of the way in time as Proto Man sprang through the opening, firing again.

Proto Man was on full offense. Mega Man had to be quick on his feet to dodge, and was given little opportunity to return his own fire. Blue and gold plasma bolts bounced around the reinforced computer room, blowing up monitors and decimating rolling chairs.

"Still mad about what happened in the astronaut's dream, huh?" Mega Man said brightly as he darted around the supercomputer, knowing this was touching a nerve. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about…though I am getting curious what you're trying to hide under that visor."

"You should talk about hiding things," responded Proto Man cooly, tumbling under a plasma blast before shooting an alarm above Mega Man's head, which showered him with sparks. "Roll learned the truth about who built me, by the way."

Mega Man's heart sank as he and Rush scampered to the other side of the control room. "…How did she find out?"

Proto Man leaped over an overturned desk in pursuit, sliding under the trailing edge of Robo-Spider webbing. "Elec Man. Long story, I'm sure she'll fill you in."

There was something even more closed off about Proto Man's expression than what Mega Man was accustomed to seeing on his brother's masked face. Mega Man realized Proto Man thought the omission of truth was personal, and it had added distance between them. He was certain Roll would be thinking something similar.

They traded several more shots in silence until a plasma blast graced across the gash in Mega Man's communicator. Mega Man felt another sharp pain, this one deeper than the last. He ducked behind the supercomputer and checked his blaster.

"Fried an energizer circuit, boy," he murmured. Proto Man must have noticed Mega Man's blaster was disabled, for he had paused his aggressive attack pattern.

Rush gave a bark, then laid his head between his paws at Mega Man's feet. Mega Man understood, somberly sliding off Rush's helmet and pulling out his energizer card. Rush powered down immediately as Mega Man discarded the bad circuit board for Rush's, listening for Proto Man's footsteps.

"Guess your number's up," came Proto Man's voice as he rounded the supercomputer, his plasma cannon held aloft. He smirked at Mega Man and Rush. "Aw, a boy and his dog, how touching!" He paused for a dramatic sigh. "I could cry— _if_ I were programmed that way!" he added, lowering his blaster toward Mega Man's chest.

Without giving Proto Man any warning that he had fixed his blaster on the spot, Mega Man fired at Proto Man point blank. Proto Man slammed against the webbing. There was a crack of electricity, Proto Man spasmed, then slid to the floor motionless.

Mega Man crouched over Rush. "You saved my circuits, boy!" he whispered, stroking his head. "I'll be back with yours in a second!"

* * *

Dr. Wily watched Proto Man fall with a cry of outrage. "Mega Man, nooo! I've got to turn up the power!"

His hand shot toward a lever, then he paused, thinking better of it. "Wait, what am I worrying about? He can't stop my Robo-Spider!" Dr. Wily reasoned, laughing. He watched as Mega Man untangled cables from a small device, his brows furrowing, then threw the lever. "…I'm not taking any chances."

* * *

Mega Man could hear an increased flow of electricity crackle through the webbing as he stuck a needle-like electrode into the cable. He hoped the Dr. Light's device was enough to do the job. _The positive electrode to the red wire, and the negative electrode to—_

Mega Man felt Dr. Light's device heat up like a radiator, burning his hand. Sparks of electricity began flowing back up the webbing toward the spider.

_Bingo._

* * *

Smoke spewed from the Robo-Spider's web shooter and out of the seams in its thorax.

"NOOOOO! My spider!" screeched Dr. Wily, leaping from the cockpit. "I'll get you for this, Mega Man!"

* * *

Proto Man heaved himself to his feet. He glared at Mega Man, seeming to be deliberating between continuing the fight or helping Dr. Wily escape. Mega Man tensed, waiting. But with a grudging snarl, Proto Man leaped to the top of a computer bank, then to the top of the supercomputer, then toward the smoking Robo-Spider, choosing to save Dr. Wily. Mega Man considered wiser of his two options; Proto Man was still in a military institution after all, reinforcements would be arriving soon. The Robot Masters had managed to clear out sometime during the fight as well.

Mega Man hurried over to Rush, replacing the circuit board he had loaned him. "We did it, boy! The supercomputer is saved!" he announced as Rush powered back on.

Rush gave a joyful bark, wagging his tail.

Mega Man took out the communicator Professor Henson had given him. "Dr. Light! Your mini-battery worked! The Robo-Spider is destroyed!"

"Wonderful!" buzzed Dr. Light's voice. "Emergency crews from the suburbs have just entered the city and are with clean up. It will take awhile to remove and recycle all the webbing, but they are optimistic that they will be able to restore power by this afternoon."

"That's great news, Doc," said Mega Man. He hesitated. "Uh…have you heard from Roll yet?"

"Yes, she turned up about ten minutes after you did," Dr. Light said brightly. "She's helping the police drive out the remaining attack-bots, but she said she'd meet you back in the lab afterward."

Uh-oh.

"Alright, I'll head there after the military base is secure. See you soon," said Mega Man, ending the transmission.

* * *

Later, Mega Man found Roll down in her workshop. She had taken off the casing of her utility arm and was fixing the communicator on a worktable. Mega Man entered cautiously. Part of him half expected Roll to either blast him through the wall with her toaster cannon or stick him to the ceiling with Dino-Tar and leave him there for weeks.

"So, uh…have you talked to Dad?" he asked.

Roll looked up from her work, her face set coldly like stone. "Not yet, I wanted to talk to you first."

Mega Man took a deep breath. "Proto Man told me what happened. That isn't how I wanted you to find out—"

Roll's eyes flashed at him. "No, you were going to go on keeping the truth forever. Do you think I'm stupid? That I couldn't handle it?"

"No, it's not that, it's just—"

"How long have you known?"

"…Since Washington D.C."

To Mega Man's surprise, Roll's expression softened. "Is that the real reason why you helped attack Washington D.C.?"

Mega Man nodded. "I made a mistake. I trusted Proto Man when I shouldn't have…the whole reason Dad had kept Proto Man secret was to protect us from him and to make sure we didn't follow him down the same path."

"It all makes sense now," Roll murmured. She gazed at him from across her worktable sternly. "Look, you should tell me your problems! I'm your sister, you don't have to keep things bottled up!"

"I…kinda thought you would be angrier than this," said Mega Man tentatively.

"Why should it change anything?" Roll said simply, turning back to finish repairing her communicator. "I still think Proto Man's a creep, knowing he betrayed Dad just makes him that much worse."

"Oh." Mega Man was unhappy about this, but didn't have a decent argument against it.

"Elec Man said something like 'Proto Man wants nothing to do with Dr. Light'," Roll paraphrased as she spot welded the long gash through the eggshell armor.

Slightly bemused a Robot Master had this kind of insight, Mega Man gave a weak shrug. He wished he had more to say on the subject. Roll glanced up at him, and sighed.

"But you're hoping he'll change his mind someday?"

"He's family," said Mega Man. He felt a bit guilty. "And despite everything, I think there's still good in him—"

"I'm not going to lie, it seems really unlikely," said Roll, snapping her communicator closed and sliding her utility arm back onto her arm. "If there's good in him, he's buried it under his list of crimes that could wrap around the Earth five times, and he shows no signs of stopping."

"I know. I'm not asking you to get caught up in this."

"For your own good, I don't think you should feel compelled to be caught up in this either," said Roll. She gave him a hard, pensive look, but didn't press it. "…Any other secrets I should know about?"

Mega Man shook his head.

"Then you really don't know what Dr. Light's other project is?"

"No, he still hasn't said anything about it."

Roll raised her brows at him.

"I don't, I swear! And I really don't think we should butt in…though I'll let you know if I hear anything," he added earnestly.

"Good. I'm giving you another chance, but only because you're my brother, and I think you're a moron."

She leaned against her worktable, staring at him. Mega Man stared back, feeling ashamed at how much he had underestimated her.

"I'm really glad you know now too," he said. "Dad doesn't like keeping Proto a secret, but he doesn't like talking about it either. Proto broke his heart when he left, you know, and he always worries one of us will do the same, or get hurt by Proto."

"Yeah, I bet," Roll said tersely. She stretched, then crossed toward the door leading up to the lab. "But he shouldn't worry, neither of us are stupid enough to join that crackpot Wily. Speaking of traitors…Ice Man went rogue."

"Ice Man?" repeated Mega Man, puzzled. "He's not with Wily?"

"Apparently he left some time ago, probably after that one scheme with the blimp. I found him in giant meat locker selling robo-drone parts on the black market. I busted up his little operation there, but he's still at large."

Mega Man groaned as they climbed the steps. "Great, don't we have enough to deal with without worrying about his Robot Masters going rogue?"

* * *

Snake Man was working quietly in the armory's repair ward of Skull Fortress, fixing a mountain of broken attack-bots for Dr. Wily, when Proto Man and Elec Man strode in from the main hanger. He wasn't trying to overhear, but Proto Man and Elec Man weren't bothering to keep their voices down, and they were talking about the latest mission.

"—Stay clear of the lab for a while," Proto Man was saying as they strode across the room. "Wily's _pissed._ He sunk a lot of money into that spider, apparently."

"Perhaps this will teach him to concentrate on practical inventions," responded Elec Man.

Snake Man wasn't surprised by this news. While he hated agreeing with Elec Man, he himself also had thought the Robo-Spider was a waste of resources with a serious weak point.

Proto Man stopped in the middle of the room, his voice lowering. "Hey, one thing's bothering me. Why did Roll think you were at Fun World? You were out of commission the entire time we were there. You don't have any look-a-likes out there, do you?"

Snake Man's insides gave an unpleasant lurch. He looked over at Proto Man from the corner of his eye. Roll must have seen Elec Man without his helmet during this mission and recognized him.

"No. One-of-a-kind," said Elec Man matter-of-factly.

"Hmmm, but you can't know that for sure, not having your memory and all…"

Snake Man was so nervous at this point that he accidentally hardwired a disembodied shin to an attack-bot's arm-socket.

"Even _if_ I did, they'd surely have better things to do then waste time at Fun World," Elec Man countered crisply. "I think she made a mistake. Whoever she thought I was seemed to be her ally."

Snake Man dropped a wrench. "Roll sssaid you were at Fun World…and she thought you were aliesss?" he stammered accidentally.

Proto Man looked over at Snake Man, noticing him for the first time. "Mind your own business, Snake Man." He turned back to Elec Man. "I'm gonna go check on Doc and talk him off any ledges, or he'll start making _really weird_ schemes."

"I honestly don't know why you bother."

"Well…sometimes he's all I got," answered Proto Man with an empty smile.

With that, Proto Man departed through a sliding door that lead toward Dr. Wily's laboratory. Elec Man rolled his eyes before stalking up a flight of stairs toward the western hangar.

Snake Man relaxed. Those two idiots were so full of themselves they would never suspect the truth. He picked up the wrench, feeling smug with his little secret.

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

Mega Man discovers a mysterious and valuable black pearl from the depths of the ocean. But he's not the only one with his eye on it—can Mega Man, Roll, and their allies from the California State Police protect it from Dr. Wily's robots? …tune in next time for _Crime of the Century!_


	17. Crime of the Century, Part 1

****

**Episode 19: Crime of the Century**

Dr. Light started the new year by spending so much time in his laboratory, that Mega Man and Roll only saw him briefly in the morning getting coffee in his slippers or going upstairs to bed late in the evening, absent-mindedly forgetting to change out of his lab coat. Despite these long hours at work, he was bright-eyed and cheerful, though often lost in deep thought. Mega Man and Roll knew Dr. Light was busy at work on his secret project, and wondered once again what it could be and how much longer it would remain a secret.

One day in the middle of January, Dr. Light announced that he needed to go to Los Angeles for an urgent business meeting. This meant Mega Man and Roll would have time on their hands in California. Roll wanted to see the sights, but Mega Man had a different suggestion. Being so close to the Pacific ocean again, Mega Man decided to take Bubble Man up on his offer to show him around international waters, and managed to make contact and arrange to go diving on the day of Dr. Light's meeting.

Gathering his marine suit, Mega Man met Bubble Man, Wave Man, Dive Man, and Splash Woman at the rendezvous point (a grassy archipelago shaped like a jaguar spot). Meanwhile, Roll planned to hang out with Honey Woman and Tengu Man above water to visit the surrounding islands and go racing.

Wave Man and Dive Man were initially shy around Mega Man. They felt embarrassed about the destruction they had caused while under Dr. Wily's control, but loved their new lives as Robot International Police officers. Splash Woman was pleased with them. Since their induction into her team, they had managed to contain robo-crime committed in international waters, therefore putting themselves far ahead of their land-based R.I.P. counterparts.

Clearly enjoying having some free time, the R.I.P. officers took turns showing Mega Man various diving sites: Wave Man had located a pod of playful dolphins, Bubble Man (as promised) several shallow-water coral reefs filled with schools of brightly colored fish, Dive Man a scuttled battleship lying on its side and crusted with barnacles, and Splash Woman a submarine canyon with fantastic, naturally sculpted walls. During their expedition, there were a few calls from R.I.P. headquarters in which Splash Woman would dart away with a flash of her long blue tail, but always reappeared soon after.

"See? I told you this part of the ocean was better to swim in," said Bubble Man as they took a break on top an ocean shelf overlooking deep blue sea, reflections of waves dancing above and on the rocky bottom. He stretched out his flippered feet and sighed contentedly. "And to think you like diving and you've never been here before!"

"Actually, I _have_ been here, but that was before I had my marine suit," said Mega Man.

"Oh? When?"

"Last July. Wily had taken over an island—"

Splash Woman whirled to face him, frowning. "Oh? I hadn't heard about that," she said, clutching her trident tighter. Mega Man could tell she was wondering how a criminal plot could unfold in her jurisdiction without her notice, so he gave her a brief account of Dr. Wily's stone-bot scheme.

"I'm not sure anyone has visited the island in a few millennium—or at least, I'm one of the few to live and tell the tale," finished Mega Man. "The last inhabitants were the Vanuu'bi, a warring civilization that didn't live beyond the stone age. The island was filled with their artifacts, like one-eyed idols of what they claimed to be an alien…"

"Aliens? Sounds like a myth or a ghost story," said Bubble Man, raising his brows with peaked interest. "You know, like the Bermuda Triangle or Devil's Sea."

"I have been in that part of the Pacific many times and have never seen such an island," chimed in Splash Woman.

Intrigued, the R.I.P. officers all agreed to have a look at what was left of Dr. Wily's island.

But Mega Man couldn't find it. Instead, they found miles of flat underwater desert with waving sand and a few skeletal clumps of dying seaweed. The water seemed murky and polluted. Bubble Man was not very impressed by this. His face mask scrunched up as though he had whiffed a particularly fragrant landfill. Dive Man gave a sonar _ping,_ which rang through the ocean without making contact.

"Perhaps you are thinking of somewhere else?" Splash Woman inquired politely after they had searched for a half hour.

"The radiator caused a massive eruption that destroyed the island," said Mega Man. "But there should still be _something…_ "

Mega Man felt unnerved by this. Whatever he and Proto Man had fought on that island had been very real. He wanted to show the island to Splash Woman as a potential hazard, but decided he would have to give it up. Maybe he didn't remember the exact location; the island had been uncharted, after all.

"Don't feel bad about that alien thing," Bubble Man told Mega Man consolingly. "I once read that there was a plesiosaur living in Loch Ness. I was keen to go diving there to see it for myself, but Inspector Headley said that was all a hoax. I was pretty disappointed." He eyed the uninhabitable wavy sand below. "It's sad, these underwater deserts keep popping up. Humans just don't know how to take care of the planet anymore."

Out of the corner of his eye, Mega Man thought he saw something glint momentarily in the sunlight.

"Hey…what's that?"

He dove toward a dark dot resting on the sand and scooped up a cannonball-sized, perfectly round orb, lustrous as obsidian. It appeared to be a pearl.

"Hey, look at this," he said, brandishing the black pearl at the R.I.P. officers.

Bubble Man made an impressed whooshing noise. "That one's big as."

"Might be valuable," said Dive Man, floating over for a closer look. "Black pearls are rare, aren't they, Wave Man?"

Wave Man crossed his arms. "Pearls are nothing more than a calcium carbonate prison for parasites or other irritants found in an oyster. Not sure why humans prize them so much."

"Couldn't have come from a black-lipped oyster…" Bubble Man murmured thoughtfully to Wave Man. "They never get larger than a hand."

"Maybe it's a new species?"

Wave Man and Bubble Man seemed more interested in the creature that had created the pearl than the pearl itself.

"Could also be a polished piece of decorative stone," suggested Dive Man, drifting around it and nodding to himself. "Cruise lines go through here, this might have fallen overboard. I find all sorts of strange litter on my rounds."

"What should I do with it?" Mega Man asked Splash Woman.

Splash Woman shrugged. "Finder's keepers. Maybe Dr. Light can analyze it for you and find out what it is?"

"Alright, I'll take it back with me," said Mega Man. "If it's worth anything, we'll auction it at a charity benefit for reef conservation."

"That'd be great, Mega!" said Bubble Man.

* * *

Elec Man had arranged his new personal quarters above the western hangar to suit his own tastes, which were minimal and neat. The former airfield control room opened up onto a spectacular view of the badlands, which were rosy in the morning twilight as Proto Man strolled in through the open door.

"Hey, thought I'd let you know…I'm heading to California for a couple of days," Proto Man began. "Wily got a tip from one of our contacts: no Syndicate activity in L.A. Looks like they don't get along with the police."

Elec Man glanced up from his computer, surveying Proto Man carefully. "Who gave you that tip?"

"Charlie Rojenko."

"…Who?"

"Crooked art collector. We've done business for him for awhile—we auctioned off Philadelphia to him back when Wily was shrinking cities."

Elec Man scoffed. _"Oh."_

"What do you think…does the tip check out?"

Proto Man felt awkward relaying this information to Elec Man. Dr. Wily was once again scheming on the side of the country controlled by Elec Man's former gang. Though Proto Man didn't expect a direct entanglement with the Syndicate, he didn't like adding insult to injury to what was already a sore spot for Elec Man by asking for advice.

But Elec Man didn't _quite_ take this view.

"Probably, though I think it's stupid _you're_ trying something in L.A. You do remember the California State Police from your last visit? I really hope this is something worth risking your neck over."

"I'm not scared of the police," Proto Man said, skating around the worthiness of Dr. Wily's current scheme.

Elec Man crossed his arms. "If you get busted, I hope it's on the news so I can watch, Light."

Proto Man bristled. Elec Man had started calling him by his creator's surname whenever Elec Man wanted to call Proto Man on his bullshit. Proto Man was too proud to acknowledge these jibes, but there were driving him nuts, and Elec Man knew it.

"No one's getting busted, but it'll be on the news all right. Apparently we lost a lot of money on that spider, and we hadn't fully recovered after the Warship Hunter—"

"I know, I saw Wily's finances," interrupted Elec Man with a cold smile.

"Right, we'll need something just to keep the lights on around here. But it's okay…Mega found a giant black pearl, biggest one in the world, priceless…therefore worth a lot to the right buyer. Also, Light's there again on business. Wily's dying to know what he's up to. I keep telling him it's probably some 'save the whales' type project, but he won't listen…"

Proto Man paused, looking out the window wall at a hawk circling above a striped mesa. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he didn't like that Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll had gone to California without warning—not only that, but it appeared they planned to stay on as extra security until the pearl reached a safe place. What if Rojenko's tip about Los Angeles was wrong, and the Syndicate struck? He needed to be there, just in case…

Though Elec Man knew what Proto Man was secretly worrying about, he didn't seem to get the seriousness or urgency of Proto Man's predicament, which was a little aggravating. "If you really care that something might happen," Elec Man said with a heaping dose of skepticism, "Stop brooding over it and _do_ something about it."

"That might make things worse," reasoned Proto Man. As far as he knew, Centum only _suspected_ he was connected to Light, and he didn't want to confirm any suspicions. Unconsciously, he began pacing, feeling at a loss for action. Elec Man wasn't being very helpful, though he couldn't blame him—Elec Man didn't have enough memories _to_ be helpful.

Elec Man was watching him through narrowed eyes, weighing him, and apparently deciding he wasn't very interested in any of this. Finally, he said, "Have you ever considered you won't live long enough to see 1997?"

Proto Man stopped pacing and smiled. "Well…if that's the case, it's been one a hell of a ride."

* * *

Because of the danger, Proto Man told Dr. Wily he wanted to keep the team going to California small so as not to attract too much attention. Dr. Wily had automatically appointed Cut Man and Guts Man to join Proto Man, so Proto Man chose Bomb Man as his next companion.

Proto Man had only taken notice of Bomb Man because Elec Man liked working with him, but he discovered they had some traits in common: Bomb Man was hardworking and competent, but also easy-going, cheerful, and patient, a critical combination when dealing with Dr. Wily's implausible ideas (or when with Elec Man, for that matter).

The fourth Robot Master Proto Man wanted to bring along was Top Man, who Proto Man thought would be useful for the undercover parts of their mission.

"C-California? Uh-uh, I'm not going there," Top Man said instantly when Proto Man singled him out in the armory.

"Relax, we're going to L.A., 'City of Flowers and Sunshine.' Your Syndicate pals won't be there."

"But the police will, and they might recognize me…I got a record there."

"What, because of the ballet incident? Relax, you'll be with us. We can handle a few robo-drones. It'd be a really big favor to Wily, and we won't make you do anything dangerous, promise."

In the end, Top Man reluctantly agreed to come along.

…But bringing Top Man to California turned out to be a bad idea. As soon as they landed near Los Angeles, Top Man became so wracked with nerves and second thoughts, that he refused to leave the Skullker. Bomb Man offered to stay behind with Top Man while Proto Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man carried out the first steps of Dr. Wily's plan.

Proto Man parked Dr. Wily's utility van in front of Toodle's Toy Emporium near the Pacific Coast. Mounted on the store's sloping roof was a fiberglass sculpture a parachuting clown on skiis, which loomed ominously over anyone standing on the sidewalk below. It was a Friday evening, and like many of the shops on this street, the toy store had closed early, with bars dropped over its storefront. Proto Man had already seen a patrol car with two serious-looking robo-officers drive past, their eyes roving the streets suspiciously.

The security system of the toy shop was advanced, but not on the same level of some banks Proto Man had broken into, and he smuggled himself, Cut Man and Guts Man without tripping any alarms. They crept toward the main display, where a specific collection of toys sat in rows on shelves, each carrying a hefty price tag. Cloying called 'Robo Babies,' the toy line had the working functionality of a simple robot drone packaged in a cute, cuddly body of a stuffed animal or doll—the prime target for Dr. Wily's next invention.

"Well, let's see how well the Doc's new gizmo works…" said Proto Man with a twisted smirk.

He chose a doll with a sweet expression, blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and a red dress with a peter pan collar that kinda reminded him of Roll (that was, if Roll liked alice bands and dresses). Soon, the doll act like Roll, too. Proto Man pointed Dr. Wily's Minidart Control Gun at the doll and fired.

A dart the size of a rose thorn impeded in the doll's arm, nearly unnoticeable to the naked eye.

"It's done, Doc," Proto Man spoke to a video communicator. "The doll is now under our care."

Dr. Wily grinned back at him. "Excellent, Proto Man! Now let's test my device to see what it can do!"

Proto Man pointed the Minidart Gun at the doll again, a red light at its front glowing. "It's time to wake up, baby doll!"

The doll pushed itself up onto its feet, its glassy eyes staring blankly at them.

"Aw, big deal…a lot of other dolls can do that," grumbled Guts Man, looking sideways at Proto Man.

"Right big fella…but I bet they can't do _this!"_

Proto Man squeezed the trigger of the gun again, then dove aside. The doll dropped off the shelf, pattered across the tiled floor on small leatherette shoes, then leaped onto Guts Man's shoulders. Gnashing its porcelain teeth, it ripped Guts Man's head off, hopped back down to the floor, then dribbled Guts Man's head like a basketball before throwing it through a basketball hoop with a panda face backboard.

 _"_ Guts Man never looked so good! Ehehehe!" wheezed Cut Man.

"Welp, you're a genius, Doc," Proto Man said into the communicator. "The baby did everything I programmed it to do."

"Yeesss, I am a genius!" crowed Dr. Wily, snickering. "And this is only the beginning! Once I put the other toys under my spell, I will be able to commit the _crime of the century!"_

* * *

The black pearl took on a purplish hue under the florescent lights in the security vault of Los Angeles's city hall. On its pedestal, it looked a bit like a magician's crystal ball. Sometimes it seemed to twinkle like a small galaxy, other times it seemed to shift as though a cloud or shadow were swirling inside it.

Roll crouched before the black pearl, hands on her knees, ogling at it, her reflection distorted on its smooth, glassy surface. "Wow! I thought diamonds were a girl's best friend, but this giant black pearl beats anything a girl or robot could ask for! It must be worth millions!"

"Its value goes beyond money, Roll," said Dr. Light, his beard twitching into a smile. "The pearl was coveted by every leader on earth before becoming the personal possession of the Queen of Spain in 1700. Unfortunately, it was lost at sea until now."

"It's a good thing you were programmed to like scuba diving, Mega," said Mayor Rivers. He was a burly man with a painter's brush mustache, wire-rimmed glasses, and a warm, calming voice.

"You can thank Dr. Light for that," said Mega Man instantly (though he doubted this was completely true to due to his unique advanced programming). "And I feel honored you chose me to present the black pearl to the Spanish ambassador next week, Mr. Mayor."

"Well you deserve it, Mega. And it is going to be the event of a lifetime. The whole world will be watching!"

"Yeah, including Dr. Wily," Roll said seriously, straightening up.

Mayor Rivers smiled and folded his arms behind his back. "I wouldn't worry about him, Roll. Half of the California State Police will be there. Security will be so tight, you can be certain we will have no uninvited guests."

"Hmm, so this is it, is it?"

Mega Man looked up, and saw Chief Fictus of the California State Police stride into the security vault. Fictus glared down at the black pearl coldly, then up at Mega Man. Mega Man could already see the blame etched in his eyes for the mad scientist-fueled mayhem the pearl would undoubtedly cause. It was clear the Cold Steel incident was still fresh in his mind.

"Chief Fictus, glad to see you," Mayor Rivers greeted warmly. "I assume you just had your meeting with Chief Flores."

"Yes, the L.A.P.D. and I have worked out security details for this— _situation,_ " said Chief Fictus, shooting Mega Man another dirty look. He then sniffed at the pearl, the bristles of his gray mustache twitching. "You'll have to excuse me, but I cannot stay," he added to Mayor Rivers. "We have a lot of work ahead of us if we are to keep Wily out."

He shook hands with Mayor Rivers then departed.

"He used to be a lot more fun, the type of guy that went on jet-ski trips on the weekend," confided Mayor Rivers to Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll, his forehead crinkling. "He planned to retire to a remote island, but then he changed his mind and stayed on. He certainly has become a lot grimmer and work-obsessed in the past few years. Still, it will be good to have him, or at least his officers, here. Rest assured that no robot of Wily's will get in here tonight."

* * *

With the black pearl under lock and key and safely guarded, Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Light returned to their hotel suite to settle down for the evening.

The weather was much nicer in Los Angeles than it had been in New York, which was now buried in snow, and they left the windows open so a warm, summer-like breeze could come in. Roll slipped into her bedroom to listen to music on her headphones, while Mega Man sat down at the dining room table with a magazine called _California Science_ he had picked up from a street stand outside. He began flicking through the pages looking for articles on Chemistry until a headline caught his eye.

**_Exclusive Interview with the World's Greatest Scientist_ **

Mega Man blinked, then continued dubiously on to the feature.

_I have beheld the future, and it couldn't be brighter._

_Dr. Mikhail Sergeyevich Cossack, age thirty-seven, granted me a short interview on Thursday night. The shy and often reclusive scientist requested not to be photographed, but his work speaks for itself. Acclaimed scientist, inventor, designer, and head of Citadel Research and Innovative Technology, sometimes credited as holding the secrets of the universe, Dr. Cossack is nothing short of a man ahead of his time._

_Within his private office in his Los Angeles headquarters, Dr. Cossack explained the science behind astrophysics and black holes as easily and plainly as an elementary school science teacher. I think we will soon speak of him in the same league as such historical figures as Galileo, da Vinci, and Tesla._

_As we talked, I good-naturedly inquired about his charmingly thick Russian accent. "I have no intention of working on my accent. There are more valuable applications of time than perfecting the pronunciation of every single secondary language I speak," he replied with a quick smile. Dr. Cossack is fluent in seven languages. (Article continued on page 28)_

A knot twisting in Mega Man's chest from reading this glowing introduction. Who the heck was this Dr. Cossack? And why was he considered the world's greatest scientist? Certainly that honor belonged to Dr. Light! But, this was a Californian publication, and Mikhail Cossack was a Californian scientist. Naturally they'd be bias…

The hotel door opened behind him as Dr. Light entered carrying an extra suitcase of clothing he had sent for from the laboratory. "Rock, what's wrong?"

"Oh, I was just reading an article, but it's nothing really, just a puff piece," Mega Man quickly, keeping his voice casual. He wanted to hide the magazine, but Dr. Light had already reached for it.

Dr. Light's eyes crinkled with amusement as they fell upon the article. He seemed to understand immediately what had bothered Mega Man about it. "Science is not a competition, and recognition is fleeting. Only Dr. Wily cared about those things," he said wisely, scanning through the interview. "…and I daresay Mikhail will _hate_ this article. He likes to keep to himself."

 _"_ _Mikhail…?"_ repeated Mega Man. Dr. Light was on a first-name basis with Dr. Cossack?

Dr. Light nodded absentmindedly. "I wish I would have had him as a student. He would have been very entertaining."

With that, Dr. Light bade Mega Man goodnight then strode toward his room, closing the door behind him.

Mega Man looked after him, thinking hard. _Is this an 'all scientists know each other' kind of thing?_ he wondered. Then, he hit his forehead as everything began clicking. He quietly got up and headed toward Roll's room.

* * *

"It all fits," said Roll after Mega Man told her what he had just learned. She was sitting at the head of her bed, a pair of headphones draped around her neck. "Mysterious boxes from Citadel Labs, this sudden meeting in Los Angeles, he's a Russian scientist—" she added, ticking off all the evidence they had gathered so far.

"Dr. Cossack is not Russian, at least, not anymore," said Mega Man, sitting down at the foot of her bed. "He lives here in L.A. now."

"Well, whatever he is, he's the one working with Dad on _something._ But what could it be?"

"No clue, could be anything really," Mega Man said honestly.

"Dr. Mikhail Cossack…" Roll murmured. Then her eyes lit up. " _Hey_ …you don't think this Cossack guy is related to _the_ _Kali Cossack,_ do you _?_ We might have a third-degree connection to a huge L.A. celebrity!"

 _"_ Who, that spoiled brat on TV?" said Mega Man. He had seen at least seven different commercials for Kali Cossack's new perfume 'California Princess' since landing in Los Angeles. Not to mention, her face was papered all over billboards and posters, winking and blowing kisses from similar advertisements.

"It's still pretty cool."

"Is it?" said Mega Man skeptically, then, "The article didn't say anything about Kali Cossack."

"Why would it? It's a science article. She's all about fashion, parties, being famous…you know, socialite stuff."

Mega Man didn't comment on this. Something else was starting to come back to him. He was thinking back to the alternate Wily-controlled future he had visited, remembering how Percival (Dr. Umlauf's son) and the other rebels had been looking for a scientist in California, the head of Citadel Labs, who had supposedly worked at the Robot International Police at one point before resigning. "This is classified information, so don't tell anyone—but I think Dr. Cossack must have been the roboticist who built Duo and Ra Thor," he whispered.

"Wow." Roll whistled. "Do you think he's a better scientist than Dad?"

"Of course not!" Mega Man said staunchly. "Equal maybe, but no one's better than Dad."

* * *

King walked down a long, brightly-lit hallway, his brogue shoes echoing off the snow-white walls. Above, he noted the bubble security cameras on the ceiling following his movement like black eyeballs as he approached the door at the end. He knocked once.

The door slid open, revealing a beautiful, circular office with a domed ceiling painted deep blue, the night sky projected upon it. A surround speaker system softly played something that King thought might be from _Swan Lake_. Next to one of the wide windows overlooking the ocean sat a drafting table with a stack of sketch paper and charcoals. Some of the sketches, which were quite stunning, had been pinned to the walls for comparison purposes.

At the desk in the center of the office sat Dr. Cossack. He had a square forehead and light auburn hair and beard. He was noticeably stylish in a reserved, academic sort of way, wearing a tailored lab coat over chinos, a yellow dress shirt, and olive green tie—not a hair or thread out of place. His desk was neatly arranged with a laptop, writing tools, pads of paper crammed with notes and diagrams, a phone, framed photos of family, and a reading lamp.

Cossack looked over at King, pushing his half rim glasses to the bridge of his nose and rolled back a sleeve, checking a digital watch. "You're early."

"I know."

Cossack caught sight of King's robo-bodyguards filing into the office behind him. "No, no—they can wait outside? In the lobby."

King hesitated, then motioned to the bodyguards, who plodded obediently out of the office, shutting the automatic door behind them. Cossack smiled and gestured toward one of two chairs in front of his desk.

For the first time, King noticed Cossack was not alone. In the other chair sat Fictus, wearing his stiff uniform and a scowl under his gray mustache.

"I didn't expect you to be in Los Angeles today, Chief Fictus," said King.

"I was just giving advice on his robo-units," answered Cossack.

"Oh. I wasn't aware you were giving advice on robots," said King keenly.

"I am not," said Cossack, punctuating his 't' like a door snapping closed. "Please have a seat."

King hesitated, eyeing Fictus. "I thought I might have a word with you alone."

"He can stay, I do not have much time to spare," answered Cossack promptly. "This is about California's defenses, right? Unless there is something you wanted to say to me that you can't say in front of the Chief of the State Police?"

"Of course not," King said with a smooth smile. He glanced over at Fictus. Fictus's eyes were locked on him like sniper rifles, his arms crossed and his face set in stony silence. King wasn't happy about sharing his appointment with Fictus, but Cossack was famously reclusive and extremely particular about his audiences. He decided to start over as though Fictus wasn't there.

"Thank you for taking time to meet with me, I know how busy you are, Mikhail—" King extended a hand.

 _"_ _Dr. Cossack,_ if you please," Cossack said coolly, not shaking his hand. He nodded pointedly toward the vacant chair.

King had overstepped a boundary. He dropped his hand, hiding his annoyance as he sank into the polished chair made of sustainable wood. He opened his mouth to start again, but before King could speak, Cossack held up a hand, as if calling for silence, then pointed at King's collar.

"Your tie, it is crooked. I'm sorry, but it is drawing my eye."

King frowned, straightening his tie, which he doubted could be more than a few millimeters off the center line. He and Cossack looked the same age, yet Cossack was treating him like a child instead of the usual dignity a U.S. Senator received. Maybe King had made a mistake in coming here alone, though he had reasoned Cossack would be much more open if he came without company.

Cossack's eyes slid from King's tie down to his wrist. "May I see your watch?"

King stared at him. This wasn't a social call, and all three of them knew it. But if he wanted to keep Cossack happy, he'd have to let the meeting remain on his terms.

With practiced patience, he undid his watch strap and handed it over, cursing himself. He should have known better than to bring any device within ten feet of Cossack. King resisted the temptation to sigh as he watched Dr. Cossack dismantle his recently purchased and very expensive watch that he had meant to wear as a statement piece at his next congressional meeting.

"I love mechanical watches," Cossack muttered. "But they have inherent design flaws. When I was seven, I figured out how to fix them."

"Mmm," responded King with only half-hearted feigned interest. This had started very badly. He had to swallow every inch of his pride as he waited for Cossack to bring up the subject of their meeting first. They all waited in several moments of silence as Cossack arranged the gears of King's watch on a crisp square of cloth.

"So, you wanted to discuss Citadel's contract with the government?" Cossack asked finally as he inspected the pieces. He was adjusting a small dial on the side of glasses (one of his inventions). A thin, nearly invisible film spread over the lower halves, creating a magnifying effect similar to bifocals.

"Yes. The U.S. is proud to have Citadel as a supplier and would like to extend our contract." King took out some paperwork folded in his breast pocket and placed it face up on the desk.

Cossack gave the papers a cursory once-over with his eyes before returning to the deconstructed watch. "Ah…this request is too expensive? Citadel cannot do this, not for the government's fee."

King had expected Cossack to say this. "Perhaps more funding can be found."

Cossack was opening drawers in his desk, pulling out spare parts the size of grains of rice and setting them next to the gears. "Perhaps…but I would insist in having a reason for why this is being asked of Citadel. This amount of material could build an army."

"That's the idea. Civil Defense is expensive. So, I came here to negotiate."

Cossack looked over his glasses at King with a raised brow.

"Are you authorized to do so?"

"Of course. Stopping Wily is my top priority— _the United States'_ top priority. My goal is to have him caught by the end of the year."

"That is very well, but before extending any contracts I want complete visibility on how Citadel resources are being used."

"I can't reveal any plans classified by the government."

He gave Fictus a very pointed look at the end of this statement, which Cossack didn't seem to notice. As he feared, Cossack seemed more focused on tinkering with his watch than paying attention to King's proposal.

"I'm afraid I need to know more if I am to consider this," said Cossack at length. "I am very interested in these civil defense projects against Wily, as they are using a considerable amount of resources from Citadel Labs. I am willing to schedule as many meetings as possible to make sure we deal fairly."

Cossack was putting him off. King didn't want to have a million meetings which nothing got done, he wanted one meeting where something happened. If he could get Cossack alone outside his workspace, away from Fictus, it would make things much, much easier…

Fictus's eyes were boring into King as though reading his thoughts.

King switched tactics, attempting to charm Cossack and release some of the tension created by discussing the contract. "I saw you were written up in _California Science_. They said you were the world's best scientist, even better than Tom Light."

As he expected, Cossack became more animated and relaxed. He rolled his eyes, the hand holding a precision screwdriver falling slack on the desk. "I talked to that airhead reporter for an hour on astrophysics, and all he focuses on is my accent. The article was complete drivel, the writer can barely speak his own language. I shall have to write Tom and apologize for the insult."

"Insult? But surely you're as good a scientist as he."

Cossack shrugged. He was working with a spool of silvery wire as thin as human hair. A crease had appeared in his square forehead as he focused on the watch with same concentration of a surgeon. It looked like he was making a mess.

"You are building something with Dr. Light," King prompted, being careful to include Light's honorific.

"Who told you that?"

"I guessed," said King, holding up his hands. Then he added more earnestly, "Is it true?"

Cossack didn't respond. The precision screwdriver and tweezers were flashing up and down like knitting needles.

"I...don't mean to pry in your other projects, but I _am_ a U.S. Senator. If you are building something, the government should know about it."

"Uh no, I don't think that will be necessary," Cossack said blandly. "I have lawyers who can look into it if it comes to that."

This was a thinly veiled warning. Fictus's gray eyes flickered back and forth between them. King tried to smooth this over and win Cossack back.

"Dr. Light has renewed his contracts with the government. He is continuing to develop special anti-Wily equipment to aid Mega Man."

"That is good. And he retains ownership of his patents? I.E. the government wouldn't be manufacturing anything of his without his knowledge?" Cossack looked up at King, for the first time forgetting about the watch and staring at him directly in the eyes, a cloud passing over his face. "I take crime very, very seriously. Perhaps more so than the robots I built at R.I.P."

Fictus was watching King keenly. King backpedaled, laughing heartily.

"Of course, there's nothing under the table about it! I didn't mean to cause alarm. So, is Dr. Light your friend?"

"No," said Cossack bluntly, then, more reserved, "I don't make friends. Tom is a good man, but very trusting. I would hate to see him taken advantage of."

King didn't like that Cossack was questioning into Dr. Light's contract. Cossack wasn't a fool, which at times was _very_ inconvenient.

"Dr. Cossack, if you don't mind, I'm afraid I must continue to press about the Citadel contract. I've heard you've been working on an experimental alloy that will be useful in creating shields."

Cossack stopped working for a moment, rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses. "I do not know where you are getting your sources from. That is still a year out at least."

So it did exist.

"I have not made any decisions yet for its manufacturing," Cossack continued.

"You could do a lot of good with an alloy like that."

"I shall decide that thank you very much. 'The government' is being nosey."

Time to lay his cards on the table. "I'm under a lot of pressure to produce results. Wily has been at large for nearly two years. New York City spends half its time cleaning up after his messes—"

"I think you already have enough resources to take care of Wily. Citadel Labs is a research company, not a manufacturer of warmechs for the government," Cossack said firmly. "Its products are not mass-produced. Especially for so little money! I would _never_ have expected such a handout—!"

"I'm not expecting Citadel to do it for nothing," King interrupted quickly. He didn't want to hear Cossack recount (once again) how he as a young, poor inventor, scraped his way through education and became a self-made billionaire by the age of thirty-two.

Cossack peered at King, pausing in the midst of reassembling his watch. "There is this company…Wonder Labs Inc." He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "A very dirty business, dumping pollutants into the air and water every day. They are looking to develop more chemical plants across the state. I've looked into their expansion plans and found them to be, in fact, illegal. Thousands will lose their jobs if no one intervenes."

King looked at Cossack shrewdly. A favor for a favor.

"I've heard of those development plans. But they are tied to powerful figures of influence. It might cost me popularity to go against them."

"It is the right thing to do," said Cossack, unmoved.

"And you will consider my proposal?" King asked plainly.

"Yes, though I may have a counterproposal."

Cossack was highlighting a way to reach a compromise between Citadel Labs and the Government, but King understood this to mean that he had to follow through on his side first without any sort of guarantee from Cossack. King hated having things dangled just beyond his grasp. Still, this was something, and his mood lifted considerably.

Feeling bold, he asked, "Dr. Cossack…what can you tell me about Duo and Ra Thor?"

But this time he really had gone too far.

"I think that is not something you should worry about," Cossack said in a brittle tone, like a lake that had just frozen over. He handed King back his watch. "There, you will never have to wind this again." He pressed the dial on the side, and the watch face flipped like a coin, revealing an interface much more complicated than a clock. "This side charts the stars and planets in the northern hemisphere."

King blinked, staring at the watch. "How do you do that?"

For the first time, Cossack's face broke out into a grin. "Ahhh, tchhh—it's nothing, though I'm willing to wager that watch is now worth several fortunes—as a Cossack original." Then, more seriously, he added, "I studied longer and harder than everyone else. That is the secret to my talent, nothing more."

"Thank you." King stood up. "May I meet with you again the second Tuesday of next month?"

"No, not that Tuesday. Busy. Kalinka wants to go to a movie. No time for government, family first. I'll be in touch."

* * *

The smile fell off King's face as he left Cossack's office. Infuriating man. But King's mind spun with super alloys, Duo and Ra Thor, and Cossack's secret collaboration with Dr. Light…

* * *

Fictus had scarcely waited for the door to close behind King before immediately breaking his silence.

"I do not trust him, Dr. Cossack. Please listen to me—"

"Thank you, I will keep your concerns in mind," interrupted Dr. Cossack in a clipped tone that indicated the subject was closed.

"I'm serious. You need to be cautious. About Wily—"

Cossack held up a hand much like he had done to King earlier. "I've had guns drawn on me. I know how to take care of myself. The likes of Wily does not scare me. In the village I grew up in, there was a bully who constantly boasted about how strong and clever he was, until one day, he went too far…"

Fictus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He'd heard this story before. Dr. Cossack had grown up in a small village frequently terrorized by gangs from another town. Dr. Cossack had many stories about gunfights, laser fights, and even bore a knife scar across his left ribcage when he, as a teenager, had jumped in to save an elder from being mugged (reportedly, he had broken the would-be-theif's nose).

"It's dangerous around here too," said Fictus warningly.

"Nonsense. _You_ need to careful, you're the chief of police. Your job will be dangerous if Wily is here. Won't you be needed back in Sacramento?"

"My deputy is taking care of things until I return," said Fictus.

The phone on Cossack's desk began playing a sugary pop song by the Pink Girls. Fictus frowned at the phone while Dr. Cossack's face lit up. "That's my daughter's line."

Fictus decided this was his cue to leave. He knew Kali Cossack, Dr. Cossack's teenage daughter, quite well, for he had chased her all over California, rescuing her from various mishaps and escorting her from nightclubs at which she was underaged. As Dr. Cossack greeted Kali enthusiastically, he grabbed the walkie-talkie that Dr. Cossack had improved to help detect bombs, then let himself out.

* * *

As the door to Dr. Cossack's office slid shut behind him, Fictus started. King was standing at the other end of the hallway.

King smiled slowly. "I thought I'd hold the elevator for you…"

Fictus hesitated, but noted King's bodyguards were not with him. Reluctantly, he stepped inside the elevator with King. The doors shut, and they began to sink.

King spoke first. "What were you really talking to Dr. Cossack about?" He had a very pompous way of speaking, regal and properly dictated, almost if he considered himself every bit of the aristocrat in his name.

"Wily. Dr. Light has been in this city for several days, I am certain Wily will show up soon too. It would not shock me if Wily targeted Dr. Cossack, especially if he figures out how skilled he is. He needs to be more careful."

"…Especially with his wayward daughter?"

Fictus shot King a sharp look. "I am monitoring that situation closely."

"Good." King gave a sniff. "Cossack doesn't need your protection from me, you know. Stop acting like his personal bodyguard."

Fictus stood his ground. "Don't pretend I haven't noticed you're up to something—"

"Careful…I could have you killed," King replied lazily. Then he laughed. "Lighten up, it's a joke. I'm not doing anything you would disapprove of."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"And your human officers?"

Fictus went silent.

King nodded knowingly. "You should take a page out of Cossack's book: Don't make friends."

The elevator doors opened to the lobby of Citadel Labs. A squadron of Robo-police officers were waiting there for Fictus, their heads whipping toward King as they exited.

"Ah, your entourage…" King said lightly. "It was nice talking to you Fictus, I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

He swept toward the entrance, his camel hair coat flaring out behind him. His robo-bodyguards were waiting for him outside.

One of the robo-officers, number Eighty-Seven, approached Fictus. "What is King doing here?" it murmured.

"I don't know," Fictus hissed back.

Officer Kobayashi, who had been sitting in one of the lobby's armchairs, bounded up to Fictus. "Wow, was that Senator King? Impressive guards, huh?"

"Keep your nose out of it, Office Kobayashi," chided Fictus more harshly than he meant. He gathered a few of his robo-officer units. "Keep an eye on Dr. Cossack. Make sure he doesn't go anywhere unsafe."

"It seems unnecessary…he rarely leaves this building," said Twenty-Two.

"Even so…" Fictus frowned. "Oh, and triple the protection around his daughter."

* * *

Proto Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man stopped their utility van in front of a tall condominium they had cased out earlier.

Guts Man was cross with Proto Man for programming the doll to attack him and at Cut Man for laughing, and complained that his neck still felt sore whenever he got the chance.

Cut Man opened up the back of the van, holding a flying model of a jumbo jet airliner complete with working wing flaps and miniature air thrusters. "I love it. They do all the work, and we get all the credit!" he said as he released the plane into the air.

"Phase 1 of your plan is underway, Doc," Proto Man reported to Dr. Wily through the communicator. "Enjoy!"

The doll, flanked by two teddy bears (a panda and a brown bear in rollerskates) scurried across the condominium's lawn and through the sliding glass doors of the lobby.

The night security guard glanced up from his football magazine at the flurry of small footsteps, expecting to see a dog that had wandered in from the street, and did a double take.

"Ughhhh—Hey, w-what's going on here?"

Attacking with a yo-yo, the doll tied and gagged the security guard, ripped his keys from his belt loop, then took off toward the elevator, which the panda bear was holding open by standing on top of the brown bear's shoulders.

They ascended to the top floor. Passing the stolen keys back and forth like a football, the doll and the teddybears quietly unlocked all the doors and pushed them open.

The doll entered a dark condominium filled with plants and mahogany furniture and crept into the master bedroom. A couple of humans were sleeping on a queen-sized bed. The doll hopped on the cushioned stool of the bedroom vanity and scanned through the collection of gold-capped cosmetics, identifying a monogrammed clutch and a leather purse. It grabbed the clutch, then rummaged through the purse, accidentally knocking over one of the gold-capped cosmetic bottles with a loud clatter as it extracted a billfold.

The couple woke with a start, caught sight of the doll, and gasped in revulsion. It was like something out of a horror movie.

"Hartford, do you see what I see?"

"We're being robbed by a doll!"

"Do something!"

But as the man got up, the doll threw a powderpuff at his face, scattering powder everywhere. The humans coughed and spluttered as the doll ran to the open window with the clutch and billfold, jumped onto the balcony edge, and waved her arms to hail the toy airplane and make her escape.

* * *

Kalinka Cossack marched through the back alley of a windowless nightclub, her platform shoes clunking noisily on the sidewalk. Above her fluttered a blue robo-bird the size and shape of a soccer ball. He had flat wings that looked like cutouts of feathers and a broad yellow bill.

"I can't _believe_ the bouncer wouldn't let me in," Kalinka fumed. "Like, doesn't he know who I am?"

"Your dad told us not to go here anymore!" Beat replied in his small, soprano voice. He knew the bouncer knew _exactly_ who Kali Cossack was, and that was the problem.

"Oh, Daddy doesn't mind," Kalinka retorted carelessly, tossing her curls. "He lets me do whatever I want!"

Beat had to concede this point. "The _police_ don't want us to go here anymore!"

Kalinka ignored him. If they wouldn't let her into this party, fine! She'd find her _own_ way in. She reached the backdoor, which had an electronic security lock. Kalinka opened up the control panel, but the wires were extremely blurry—she'd forgotten her contacts again.

Checking over her shoulder to make sure they were alone, Kalinka reached into her beaded macrame purse and pulled out a hideous pair of glasses with red rims shaped liked daisies. Her father had bought these for her a long time ago, and she loathed them. If the paparazzi ever saw her like this—no one could ever think she was a nerdy scientist type, it'd ruin her brand!

She looked back at the circuit panel, and scowled. Now that she could see properly, she could tell how poorly it was designed.

"We're going to get caught!" hissed Beat desperately, hovering over her black daisy hat.

Kalinka pushed him away. "So what?" Sticking her tongue absentmindedly out of the corner of her mouth, she began re-wiring the lock.

Kalinka Cossack had completed her doctorate in Engineering when she was fourteen. Despite this, she decided to focus on fashion, makeup, and perfume lines. She was often written off as being a vapid, attention-seeking socialite (an identity which she fueled partly for her brand, partly because she enjoyed the fantasy of acting like a real-life princess) but was on track to eventually make more money than her father.

Though Kalinka had not followed in his footsteps, Dr. Cossack couldn't be more delighted. "My daughter can do anything," he had confided to Beat once with fierce, teary-eyed pride.

Beat felt he probably knew the real Kalinka better than anyone else, and had fond memories of playing hide-and-seek or trick-or-treating as Ariel and Flounder from _The Little Mermaid_. when she was a little girl. It was a full-time job looking out for teenage Kalinka and keeping her out of trouble, though she sometimes she managed to slip away anyway by powering him down or stuffing him in her purse…

"But Kali, you told your dad you were staying at Britany's tonight," Beat pleaded one last time.

"After she said California Princess smelled 'grody?' As if!" said Kalinka, rolling her eyes. The door clicked opened.

"What _does_ California Princess smell like?" asked Beat tentatively, stalling for time.

"It smells amazing. Here, I'll show you." Kalinka turned around, digging into her purse for a pink, crystalline bottle adorned with a tiara-like cap, and sprayed a cloud into the air.

It smelled at first like cotton candy and tangerines, then like burnt licorice and rotten apples.

Kalinka's face crumpled. "Ewwwww!" she mewled. "What is that?" She sniffed the perfume again before pinching her nose. "I specifically told the production team _not_ to add Elderflower petals! It throws off the scent profile. Ooooh! They'll be sorry they didn't consult me…" Her face had set into a steely 'heads will roll' look she inherited from her father.

Beat had glanced down the alley and just caught sight of a police patrol car.

"Officer!" he cried out to it.

Kalinka lunged for Beat, clamping his beak shut. _"Beat!"_ she hissed angrily.

Beat struggled, and was about to tug himself free, when something skittered crab-like into the alley. Grabbing Beat by the wing, Kalinka ducked behind a dumpster. Hearing strange, scuffling movement, they peered around their hiding place, then froze, petrified, as a baby doll in a pink bonnet walked up to the door, pried it open with its chubby fingers, then disappeared inside.

Kalinka gave a huge gasp, clutching her chest and pointing toward the door.

"What the hell was that?!"

"I don't know, but we should get out of here, Kali!" Beat moaned, digging his short talons into the collar of Kalinka's cardigan and pulling her toward the entrance of the alley.

"Alright, chill out!" Kalinka relented. "You'll stretch out my cardigan! I got it in Paris!"

* * *

Mega Man spread out the morning newspaper on the hotel suite's dining room table in front of Dr. Light and Roll. An article detailing a string of bizarre robberies involving the 'Robo Babies' toy line had made headline news on all the Los Angeles papers.

"Wonder what game Wily plans on playing next with his toys…capture the black pearl?" Mega Man said in mock contemplation.

"I don't think so, Mega," said Dr. Light as he sipped his coffee. "These toys aren't capable of getting past the security at the presentation. If I was to guess, Dr. Wily is probably going to use them to go on a crime spree."

"What I don't understand is how he controls those toys," said Roll, scanning the newspaper dubiously. She was still in her pajamas.

"I think we better find out before he robs the city blind," said Mega Man.

The wall phone began to ring. Dr. Light (who was closest) reached out to answer it, then frowned seriously as he listened to the other end. "Okay, I'll tell him." He looked over at Mega Man as he hung up.

"What is it?" Mega Man asked.

"Chief Fictus wants you to report to the Los Angeles Police Department," said Dr. Light.

"Oh no…" groaned Mega Man.

* * *

Mega Man _knew_ Fictus couldn't be happy about Dr. Wily attacking Los Angeles hours after he had predicted he would, and was not looking forward to whatever he had in store for him at the Police Department.

But to his surprise, Mega Man and Roll were greeted outside by a familiar young police officer he had worked with last time he was in California.

"Yuuta!" exclaimed Mega Man, relieved.

"Hi Mega Man, hi Roll!" Yuuta Kobayashi greeted enthusiastically.

"Awesome! I didn't know you'd be here," said Roll.

"I've solved some serious cases since I last saw you," Yuuta replied, grinning. "When I heard you were here back in California and that Wily might be around, I volunteered to help!"

"Is, uh, Chief Fictus here too?" Mega Man asked, casually looking over Yuuta's shoulder into the Police Department.

Yuuta shook his head. "He couldn't stay, but he said he's sending special forces—" Yuuta caught sight of a patrol car that just pulled up to the curb and grimaced. "And here he comes, Prime-Double-Zero…Oooo, Fictus doesn't deploy him unless things are _really_ bad."

Mega Man and Roll turned their head to look at Chief Fictus's 'special forces', expecting some sort of hulking battlemech to climb out of the car, and were therefore surprised to see what looked like a perfectly ordinary robo-officer approach them. Prime Double-Zero looked exactly like the other Californian police-drones—stiff peaked cap, barrel-like body, yellow 'POLICE' badge, heavy rotary-style blaster. The only difference was the serial number inscribed on his chest: 100.

"Hi, I'm Mega Man," said Mega Man, extending a hand.

The Robo-officer regarded Mega Man silently for a moment. "I know who both are," he said gruffly, returning his handshake. "I'm Prime-Double-Zero," he added as an afterthought, as though he thought pleasantries were a waste of time. Having no mouth, his voice sounded human but had a slight metallic ring.

Mega Man stared at Prime-Double-Zero curiously. "It's funny…Chief Fictus never mentioned you last time we met."

"That's because Chief Fictus doesn't trust you," Prime-Double-Zero replied bluntly without any shame or tact, watching Mega Man out of the corner of his eye as he shook Roll's hand. "I was being repaired at the time. My blaster sometimes gets stuck between rounds—otherwise I would have been out with the other robo-officers fighting on Mount Shasta."

Mega Man thought wryly to himself that it would have been difficult to tell Prime-Double-Zero apart from the California State Police Robo-drones even if he _had_ been there.

"What a surprise. Yet again you bring Dr. Wily into this state," Prime-Double-Zero commented. Mega Man felt the same wave of dislike coming from this robot that he often sensed from Fictus. "Let's get started. I have extra human officers and police-drones watching the streets with the L.A.P.D. I think it's best you and Roll take to the air and report anything suspicious you see to me. I want to coordinate all our efforts against Wily's toys so we can snip this problem in the bud _today_ , is that clear?"

"Uh…yes sir?" said Mega Man hesitantly. He glanced sideways at Roll. She raised her eyebrows back at him, amused.

Prime-Double-Zero scrutinized him for a moment, clearly having reservations, before nodding curtly. They all synched their communicators, then Prime-Double-Zero headed back toward his patrol car and drove off.

"He's a hardass just like your boss, huh?" Roll told Yuuta tactlessly.

"Be careful what you say to him," advised Yuuta quietly. "He reports everything back to Chief Fictus." Then with a wave, Yuuta headed toward his own patrol car.

Roll was the first to snicker. "Are we _really_ going to let that robo-officer push us around as though we're his cadets?"

"Not sure if he'll give us a choice," Mega Man answered, also smiling.

* * *

The remote-controlled toys filed back to the Skullker's hideout with their plunders, the fur of the stuffed animal's matted and the doll's clothing mud-spattered from their journey across the city.

Dr. Wily eyed the growing mountain of crumpled bills and loose coins being emptied from purses and wallets through the video communicator Proto Man had propped up against the dashboard.

"Mere pocket change, not valuable enough to worry the police," he sneered. "But now to step up my little plan…let's give them something big enough to choke on their coffee and donuts!"

_**To be continued...** _


	18. Crime of the Century, Part 2

The windows of skyscrapers flashed in the mid-afternoon sunlight as Mega Man and Roll soared above Los Angeles. They had just made another pass of the city and were hovering somewhere over a packed beach, sunbathers waving lazily at them as ocean waves lapping against the shore.

"We've been searching for hours and haven't even seen a mugging!" Roll complained, drumming her fingers against the handlebars of her skycycle.

Rush's ears perked up and began spinning at their bases. He yowled.

"Rush is onto something!" said Mega Man, looking down.

Rush made a tight arc back toward the city, his altitude dropping, Roll following close behind.

* * *

Dr. Wily's van idled alongside the opposite curb of an expensive hotel. Aristocrats, decked out in expensive attire, wearing glittering jewelry of precious metals set with valuable gemstones as though attending a gala or red carpet event, were being ushered inside by bellhops in maroon uniforms.

"Let the party begin!" roared Dr. Wily from the video communicator on the van's dashboard.

"You got it Doc!" replied Guts Man. He cracked open the driver side window, pointing the Minidart Control Gun at the hotel. "Happy Birthday!

He fired a gnat-like cloud of darts toward a tottering stack of gifts that one of the bellhops was carrying inside. The darts locked onto the signatures of four 'Robo Babies' toys and punctured pin-holes through the wrapping paper as they shot toward their targets.

* * *

At the banquet table inside of a luxurious reception hall sat an eleven-year-old with smarty combed hair, a three-piece suit, and a party hat. A banner reading "Happy Birthday Rudy" decorated with streamers and paper rosettes hung above him. His party guests (mainly friends of his parents or parents of his friends) were scattered around tables, sipping champagne cocktails with candied orange peels and nibbling caviar _hors-d'oeuvres_ while talking about their yachts and racehorse breeding.

Suddenly, the presents behind Rudy exploded into shreds of wrapping paper. The guests let loose cries of shock and fear as the reception hall dissolved into pandemonium.

The first toy to break loose was a miniature of Toodle from Toodle's Fun Emporium. The toy clown wore a stocking hat, satin shoes with curling toes, a pair of baggy overalls over a puffy sleeve blouse, and a wild fluffy fringe at its collar. The guests felt small hands using their shoulders as a springboard as it sprang from human to human, snatching sapphire earrings, ruby rings, emerald hairpins, and platinum tie bars.

Next, a jack-in-the-box with a chalk white head, feathery cyan hair, and a pink tongue lolling doglike from its mouth used its long bendy arms to scoop designer watches and gold cufflinks into its open box. It made little _"Huuuhh, huuuhhh"_ chuckling noises as it bounded clumsily from table to table.

Rolling around on the floor after the jack-in-the-box was a stuffed rabbit with fluffy white fur, long pink ears, garnet eyes, and a pair or blue roller-skates strapped to its long feet. It nabbed everything within its reach from anklets, shoe buckles, to toe rings.

Finally, a model helicopter with blue stripes was buzzing around the room like a giant wasp collecting diamond necklaces and bracelets on its skids, several functioning action figurines of army men hanging out of its doors.

Within seconds, the four toys had taken everything shiny and valuable from party guests.

Guts Man stomped onto the banquet table, which groaned under his weight. "C'mon my toy friends, it's time to fill up the sacks!"

He pointed toward the mouths of two canvas bags Cut Man and Bomb Man were carrying. The toys whirled, bounded, and skated toward them.

"Thank you very much!" croaked Bomb Man as his bag became weighted down.

"Very nice!" said Cut Man, admiring the glittery pile of gold, silver, and precious gems.

Guts Man raised his hands to address the humans cowering beneath the tables. "Attention please, before we leave, I'd like to thank you all for bringing such wonderful gifts, ha."

"Don't rush off, Guts Man! I have a present for you!"

Mega Man rocketed through the double doors of the reception hall, leaped off Rush's jet, and fired into Guts Man's chest. Guts Man staggered backward like a boxer who had just been punched, snapping the banquet table in half, but then lunged forward. His giant yellow smashed into Mega Man, and Mega Man flew backward and crunched into the wood paneling between two glass windows.

With a fierce battle whoop, Roll charged into the hall with Prime-Double-Zero. Prime-Double-Zero's backup, Officers Forty-Two and Eleven, took in the scene of chaos and reacted instantly, guiding the frightened humans to safety and warding off the toys with their rotary blasters. Yuuta brought in the rear, and per Prime-Double-Zero's barked orders had taken cover with Rush behind a potted fig tree, his electro-neutralizer pistol drawn as he fired at the jack-in-the-box, which had stolen his police cap and kept hopping out of reach while pulling mocking faces with its thumbs in its ears.

Roll had engaged Guts Man with a sledgehammer while the toy rabbit skated around underfoot trying to trip her up but nearly getting flattened several times by Guts Man's elephantine-sized feet.

An army man was hanging on Prime-Double-Zero's peaked cap, banging the butt of a matchstick-sized rifle against the golden star. Prime-Double-Zero's silver rotary blaster spun like a film reel, letting off a round of six shots. He evaporated three of the helicopter's other army men who were parachuting to the ground, hit Bomb Man in the knee, and knocked a _Rolling Cutter_ off course so that it slashed a hole in through the top of Cut Man's bag, some its solid gold trinkets spilling to the floor.

Guts Man roared as the sixth tangerine-sized shots hit him the eye. He flailed around, bashing Roll into the buffet and trampling several chairs to splinters in disoriented rage. Mega Man fired at Guts Man, but the shot glanced off Guts Man's forearm and shattered a nearby ornamental vase. Guts Man clasped his hands above his head and was about to bring them down, driving Mega Man into the ground like a stake, when Prime-Double-Zero made a flying kick at Guts Man from the side, knocking him to the ground with a thunderous crash.

"Watch your collateral damage, we are on private property," growled Prime-Double-Zero at Mega Man, whirling his rotary blaster. Like the other California Robot Officers, his rotary blaster could only fire six shots at a time before he'd need to spin it again to recharge. He reached for the army man on his cap, crushed it, and threw the broken bits of green plastic and wiring into a trash can.

Mega Man aimed over Prime-Double-Zero's shoulder and fired at Guts Man again, who had risen quietly and had cocked his fist back to hit Prime-Double-Zero. Guts Man fell with another crash that shook the light fixtures on the wall. Prime-Double-Zero's eyes flickered to Mega Man then back to Guts Man, but said nothing as he pointed his blaster at Bomb Man as Roll resumed her attack on Guts Man.

Nearby, Cut Man had thrown a _Rolling Cutter_ at Yuuta's hiding place, snipping off all the leaves from the fig tree and knocking his pistol from his hand.

"Hey, Cut Man! Catch this!" Mega Man called, firing at Cut Man's feet to turn his attention away from Yuuta.

Cut Man leaped out of the way, the plasma blast burning a hole into the carpet. "You missed, Mega Man! But _he_ won't!"

"…Huh?"

Mega Man looked up, then felt as though the bottom of his abdomen had dropped out. A toy clown had its legs wrapped around the chain of the overhead chandelier and was hanging upside down like a trapeze artist, a pair of bolt cutters in its hands. Its face, framed with straggly yellow hair and painted with garish red lips, eyes sealed shut in a vacant expression of joy, turned toward him, then it snipped the chandelier from its chain.

Mega Man hastily grabbed an empty table and lifted it over his head. The chandelier crashed with a ringing of crystal onto the table top.

"You guys are too easy!" said Mega Man as he fired Cut Man into a wall with his free arm. He set the table down as Roll tripped Guts Man with a sweep of a hockey stick from her utility arm, and Bomb Man was flung onto his back as Prime-Double-Zero hit him with a full volley of shots. Rush was bounding after the toys, and Yuuta had crawled army style across the floor, recovering his electro-neutralizer pistol.

"Get out of there, you fools!" Dr. Wily's voice crackled from Bomb Man's communicator. "I don't want that blue dweeb ruining my plans!"

Bomb Man nodded, tying off his bag of loot and swinging it over his shoulder. "I'd like to stay to sing "Happy Birthday", but I gotta be running!"

He flung a _Hyper Bomb_ into the center of the room. Prime-Double-Zero grabbed Yuuta by the collar of his uniform and shoved him behind the piano while Mega Man, Roll, and Rush hit the deck as the bomb exploded.

Heat, smoke, and dust filled the reception hall. Yuuta coughed and spluttered, covering his face with a sleeve as Prime-Double-Zero dragged him outside. Mega Man and Roll picked themselves up and followed them. Behind them, the fire alarms began blaring as the sprinkler system activated. All four of them tensed, listening as the foundations shook, but didn't collapse—Bomb Man had been aiming to distract, not destroy.

"Sir, robo-firefighters are on their way!" announced Officer O-Eight, saluting to Prime-Double-Zero.

"Good! Make sure the humans are safe. We're going after the Bad-bots!" replied Prime-Double-Zero, waving for Mega Man, Roll, and Yuuta to follow him, fast. They had just seen Cut Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man whisk around the block into an alley, their sacks of stolen valuables in tow.

* * *

Proto Man waited in an elaborately gratified alley between several bars and a club while Top Man stayed aboard the Skullker. He had been working strategically to hit various spots around the city filled with humans to rob with the toys and keep the robo-police scattered and busy. But he was growing bored, part of him wishing _he_ was out there fighting the police instead of these toys.

He leaned against the wall of the club, which was gently pulsing to the beat of music coming from within, wondering where Cut Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man were. Their mission really shouldn't have taken longer than ten minutes, what was taking them? He'd have to have a talk with Bomb Man about keeping Cut Man and Guts Man on track—

A young voice cried out through the alley, interrupting Proto Man's thoughts.

"Stop, it was my mom's!"

Proto Man turned just in time to watch a furry purple cyclops monster with plastic horns and stubby bowlegs squeeze through a gap in a rotten wooden fence at the other end of the alley, something golden glittering from its clawed hands.

Responding to the shrill cry, Proto Man seized the stuffed monster by the scruff of its neck and prized its spoil from its claws. The cyclops blew a raspberry at him, squirmed out of his grip, then scampered away with a deep cackle.

Proto Man looked down at the object he had removed from the toy monster. It was an enamel keychain shaped like the sun; pretty, but not particularly valuable…at least, not from a jeweler's (or thief's) perspective.

A wrenching noise came from the fence. Proto Man looked up to see a scrawny blonde girl squeeze through the gap, holding one of her chunky platform shoes in her hand ready to strike, her eyes blazing in fury, but she stopped short, gaping at Proto Man.

"Here you go," he said, holding out the keychain.

The girl replaced her shoe in an instant. Despite the added height, she only came up to his shoulder.

"Oh, uh, thank you," she said coyly, daintily accepted the keychain. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along!"

"Looked like you were going to stab it to fluff with a sparkly platform shoe."

The girl seemed not to have heard this comment. She was ogling at him with a dreamlike expression. "So, you saved me, again," she said leadingly, tucking a blonde curl behind her ear.

"…Huh?"

"You rescued me from those kidnappers. You were my hero! Remember?"

"Hero, huh? Doesn't really sound like me."

"Don't worry Kali, I'm coming—" called a small voice from behind them.

A blue robotic bird barreled into the alley, his large eyes narrowed into fierce slits and his talons poised to strike. Then he caught sight of Proto Man and froze in shock, dropping several feet. He began pumping his wings again just in time before smashing into the concrete.

Proto Man looked at the robo-bird fluttering between him and the girl with mild curiosity. The robo-bird looked much more advanced than the typical robo-pets humans owned. His beak was clamped shut, and he was staring at Proto Man with the vague resemblance of a rabbit in front of headlights, his blue wings beating frantically to keep him alight.

Proto Man looked back at the girl, who seemed to be trying to shoo the bird away (The bird himself had snapped out of his fear somewhat and was trying vainly to block the girl from view). "Sorry, the toys aren't supposed to target kids. That one must have gotten carried away, won't happen again."

The girl's face scrunched up sourly. "I'm not a kid! I'm seventeen!"

Proto Man looked up at the silly black daisy hat she was wearing, a trend that was very popular among teenage humans. Everything about her from her advanced robo-bird to her stylish designer clothing and accessories reeked of wealth. She gave a small sigh and looked up at him with a sappy sort of adoration, her hands clasped next to her cheek.

"I am not comfortable with this," Proto Man said aloud. He wondered vaguely what Elec Man would say about this situation. Without warning, he leaped onto the nearest rooftop.

"Wait! Will I see you again?" the girl called after him.

"Doubt it."

* * *

Kalinka jumped at the sound of a police siren. She glanced down the alley at the flashing lights, then back at the rooftop, but the man was gone.

She twirled on the spot, gave a soft squeal and slid down the brick wall, hugging herself.

"Did you see how he looked at me?" she asked Beat.

Beat thought the robot had looked at her as though she were an alien from another planet trying to communicate. Apparently, Kalinka had misinterpreted this as flattering interest.

"Kali, don't you know who that was?"

But Kalinka was lost in her own world, with the same silly sort of smile on her face that she had whenever she developed a new crush. "Just wait until I tell Tiffany! She's going to be so jealous~"

"Oh bother, nevermind…" sighed Beat, resolving _not_ to tell Dr. Cossack about this.

* * *

From the rooftop, Proto Man finally caught sight of Cut Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man racing through the streets below. The Robot Masters had almost reached their pick up point, but Mega Man, Roll, and the police officers weren't far behind. At the same time, Proto Man's communicator began flashing.

"It's time to put an end to this nonsense!" Dr. Wily's voice snarled after Proto Man answered.

Proto Man lifted the Minidart Control Gun, smiling. "Heh. You got it, doc."

* * *

Mega Man, Roll, Yuuta, and Prime-Double-Zero had just entered a deserted side-street, Cut Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man pounding straight ahead, their bags jingling noisily on their backs, when something zipped in circles around them. Mega Man had just caught sight of the model fighter jet before the fishing line snagged around their ankles and they all fell in a noisy heap. By the time they were able to untangle themselves, the Bad-bots were gone.

"I can't believe it. Outsmarted by a bunch of toys!" grumbled Mega Man, rubbing his shins as Prime-Double-Zero barked orders into his communicator for the other robo-officers.

"What's worse is we didn't even get one to take back to Dr. Light!" said Roll, pushing herself up to her feet.

Just then, Yuuta whirled around and fired his electro-neutralizer pulse gun at toward the entrance of the side-street. The pink pulse phased through the toy rabbit, which had been straggling behind. The rabbit went ridged as a board, its legs locked in odd angles, and fell with a light _fwumph,_ the wheels on its roller skates rattling loosely.

"Good shot, Kobayashi!" said Prime-Double-Zero, rushing over. He grabbed the rabbit by its leg, then looked over at Mega Man with some reluctance. "Alright…let's see if your creator can get to the bottom of this."

* * *

Dr. Light met them at the police station to analyze the toy rabbit.

"Targeting human kids' toys…that is real sick," growled Prime-Double-Zero, pacing the office they were borrowing.

"It's pretty low, even for Wily," remarked Mega Man.

Yuuta scratched his head. "A _toy_ attack…ooph…I'm still not used to mad science yet."

On a table nearby, Dr. Light was examining the rabbit's fur with a magnifying glass. Using a pair of tweezers, he extracted a black dart from its back.

"Ahh…I think I've found the control device," he murmured, holding the dart up to the light. "Yes…this mini dart operates like an insect. It flies around and attaches itself to its victims…in this case, toys."

Without the dart, the rabbit began acting on its default programming. It sat up, blinked, scratched its ears with its front paws, then cocked its head with sweet inquisitiveness at them, acting somewhere between a real rabbit and a human baby, one ear standing up straight. Rush stood with his paws on the table edge, watching the rabbit wistfully, his tail wagging.

Mega Man leaned in for a closer look at the dart. "Do you think you can figure out how it works, Doc?

"Ahhh, I hope so, Mega. There's got to be a way to counteract it."

Dr. Light set the dart on the bed of a portable electronic scanner he had brought with him then sat down at one of the police computers and began scanning.

But the schematics came up garbled and unreadable.

"Hmm..this is going to be harder than I thought," said Dr. Light, stroking his beard. "Wily has scrambled the electronic code of this dart."

"Looks like Wily's thought of everything," said Roll.

"Hey, what's this?" asked Mega Man, looking up at the overhead T.V.

The bland, prime-time sitcom that had been playing in the background had been suddenly interrupted by an emergency news report. They all turned to watch.

Plum, California's peppy android news broadcaster with bright fuchsia hair, tapped her stack of papers against her broadcasting desk importantly. "Los Angeles is in a state of panic as swarms of strange bugs have struck the city—they only attack toys," she said as the news report cut to footage from around the city. A tiny fighter jet snagged a purse from a woman standing outside of a jewelry boutique. Teddy bears were looting electronics from residential properties while their owners yelled angrily at them from the sidewalks. A bank was being robbed at gunpoint by the blonde babydoll with a red dress. The broadcast cut back to plum. "All available law enforcement has been pressed into service to stop the toys' citywide crime spree!"

Mega Man sighed and muted the T.V., setting the remote on a filing cabinet. "Wily is really wreaking havoc with these toys!"

Prime-Double-Zero nodded gravely. "It's keeping the L.A.P.D. and most of the California State Police completely tied up."

"It'll be up to us to guard the pearl," put in Yuuta.

From the table, the toy rabbit was now grooming its fur in the spots that become scuffed during the robbery. The phone sitting next to it began ringing. Mega Man reached for the receiver.

"Mega here."

"This is Mayor Rivers. Have you seen the news?"

Mega Man glanced at Dr. Light and Roll. "Yes Mayor, Dr. Light is working on a countermeasure right now!"

"Good, but I'm afraid we'll have to move the sight of the black pearl ceremony."

* * *

Proto Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man returned to the Skullker, their sacks of loot shimmering around them like a pirate's treasure trove. Dr. Wily was extremely pleased.

"Well, now, if I was a gambler…I'd bet the mayor is planning on moving the pearl," he said from the video-communicator. "In fact, I'm _sure_ he's going to move it since all his precious police are out trying to stop our big bad toys."

Guts Man and Bomb Man snickered in approval to these words.

"You're the greatest Dr. Wily," said Cut Man, a bit giddy on the euphoria of having run several consecutive missions successfully.

Dr. Wily closed his eyes in a poor imitation of humility. "Yeah, I know, I know."

"But how are we going to find out where he moves the pearl?" asked Guts Man, quoting a spy report from a battonton in an unexpected show of foresight. "The mayor takes his work home every night! There's no way we're going to bust into his place!"

"Guts Man is right!" chimed in Cut Man. "He'll be watching for us!"

Cut Man and Guts Man looked at Dr. Wily expectantly.

Dr. Wily grinned darkly. "Let him watch…cause it won't be _us_ paying him a visit."

He snapped his fingers. A toy cowboy with a miniature frayed faux-leather vest, a red bandana, boots complete with hand-stitched embroidery, and tiny spurs the size of sequins stepped into the cockpit of the Skullker. Proto Man picked up the doll, which wasn't much larger than his fist. The doll's chiseled face bobbed up toward him with blank, beetle-black glass eyes, a small camera on its wide-brimmed hat focusing on Proto Man's face.

"I don't think they'll be expecting _this."_

* * *

Mega Man, Roll, Yuuta, and Prime-Double-Zero met Mayor Rivers's in the study of the official Mayor's Residence, an elegant mansion with low-pitched terracotta roofs and stucco walls.

 _"_ This is the route we'll take tomorrow to move the pearl," Mayor Rivers said, showing them a map of California on his desk. "We'll leave Los Angeles and go into the countryside where there's a small town called Coopersville." He traced a red highlighted line that lead northeast out of the city toward the Nevada border with his finger. "Very few people have heard of it."

"Sounds good to me, Mr. Mayor! I don't think even Dr. Wily could figure this move," said Mega Man.

"And with you riding shotgun, he'd be foolish to try anything anyway!" said Mayor Rivers, rolling up the map and locking it in his desk. "Well, goodnight, I'll see you in the morning."

"You can sleep tight, Mr. Mayor," said Roll. "With Mega and I working graveyard, you can be sure no one will enter the study."

Mayor Rivers walked them to a well-stocked library adjacent from his study, then left for his personal quarters, telling them to let the night staff know if they needed anything.

"I'm prepared to stay up all night if it helps keep the pearl away from Dr. Wily," offered Yuuta instantly to Prime-Double-Zero with a salute.

"That's not necessary, Officer Kobayashi," said Prime-Double-Zero with exasperation. "Go get rest with Officer Brodeur and Officer Díez. We'll need you all in the morning, five o-clock sharp, alert and prepared. Leave it to the robots to stay up."

Roll grimaced. Both she and Mega Man had just adjusted to California time, and this was fairly early for both of them. They glanced briefly at each other. It would be nice to take sleeping shifts as well—though Prime-Double-Zero didn't know they were advanced-androids that needed sleep. That might lead to awkward questions…

Prime-Double-Zero watched Yuuta leave sternly, then his gaze fell upon Mega Man and Roll. He looked down.

"I'll watch the other room," he said quietly, pointing toward the drawing room. "If you hear or see anything suspicious, even the slightest of noises, let me know."

He gave them a curt nod, then strode out of the library, closing the stained wooden door behind him.

Roll let out a sigh of relief. "You want first or second watch?" she asked Mega Man.

Mega Man didn't answer right away. He was looking at the door Prime-Double-Zero had left through thoughtfully. It was almost as if Prime-Double-Zero had automatically excluded himself from their group—not surprising, given his brisk, borderline rude attitude toward them—but Mega Man sensed something lonely in this solitary behavior, as though Prime-Double-Zero had concluded that neither Roll nor Mega Man would want to spend the time guarding the study in his presence. He wondered if Prime-Double-Zero really disliked Mega Man and Roll quite as much as he was letting on.

"You know, it's weird but I can't help but like him a little bit," he admitted out loud to Roll.

"Over-the-top uptight like his creator, but a good soldier? All bark and no bite?" suggested Roll.

"Something like that," agreed Mega Man.

* * *

Outside the Mayor's Residence, cameras mounted on the stone walls were scanning the premises for movement, a laser security grid gently humming in the arched entryways. The California State Robo-Police patrolling the grounds were silent, occasionally whirling their rotary blasters restlessly, their golden 'POLICE' badges glinting in the wrought iron outdoor lamps. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig drew their attention.

Suddenly, one of the robo-officers pointed its rotary blaster up at a palm tree and fired.

A stunned squirrel fell out of the tree and landed in a clump of ornamental grass. The robo-officer gave a surprised jump, then raced toward the stunned squirrel, quickly using a different setting on its blaster to reverse the effects of the electro-neutralizer blast. A second later, the squirrel jumped out of its arms and spiraled up to the top branch of another tree, chittering angrily.

Meanwhile, the cowboy doll slipped through the iron bars of the gate, leaving behind the packet of peanuts it had used to lure the squirrel. It darted carefully from potted succulent to potted succulent until it reached the east side of the mansion where another robo-officer stood guard at the door, its head rotating from side to side like an oscillating fan.

Something shifted in one of the hedges lining the stone driveway. The robo-officer's head flickered toward the noise. The cowboy stayed still, crouched between an agave plant and a striped sansevieria. After a moment, the robo-officer resumed its silent surveillance of garden, and the cowboy took its chance to sneak by.

Once behind the robo-officer's boots (which were as tall as buildings relative to the cowboy doll's height), the cowboy carefully uncoiled a thread like rope made of braided silk and lassoed a protruding brick decoration on the gable above. With one backward glance at the robo-officer, the cowboy scaled the smooth stucco wall to the second floor.

It looked in the first window it came across, which was a library, and saw Mega Man sitting at a desk reading a book on Los Angeles's history, Roll curled up one of the sofas sleeping, and Rush laying on his side on a woven rug, his paws twitching in a dream. The cowboy lingered for a fraction of a second before Rush's ear rose and turned toward it, then moved on to the balcony next door.

The cowboy squeezed through the narrow gap in the double-hung window into the mayor's study. All was dark and still. The cowboy dropped to the hardwood floor and carefully edged along the back of the heavy fringed drape to the end of the window, then looked around, the camera on its head taking in the study.

The door creaked open and a slice of light expanded across the room. The cowboy withdrew behind the drape as another robo-officer entered the study. The robo-officer gazed up at a watercolor painting of a Californian landscape on one of the walls, arms folded in sullen contemplation, then he crossed toward the window and threw open the drapes.

The cowboy pressed itself against the folds velvet. If the robo-officer looked down, it would all be over—

The robo-officer scanned the lawn, his silver neckless head pivoting silently on his drum-shaped chest. He lifted up his communicator.

"Thirty-Nine, any sign of the Bad-bots yet?"

"Negative, sir."

"Increase surveillance on the north side. Have Thirty-Eight patrol the gardens."

"Copy that."

The Robo-officer let out a sigh, a bit like a human voice buzzing through fan blades. He glared into the clear sky, as though willing something to jump out of the blackness. Then he shut the drapes with a snap and stalked out of the room.

The cowboy crept out from behind the drapes. Cautiously, it climbed up the desk chair's leg and stood up on its arm. Then it took a toy pistol smaller than a Clue piece from a miniature holster, aimed for the keyhole on the desk's writing drawer, and fired a bullet the size of a strawberry seed.

* * *

Dr. Wily video-conferenced with Proto Man over the feed from the cowboy doll's camera.

 _"_ _Proto Man_ …look how considerate it was for the Mayor to make the directions so clear for us!" cackled Dr. Wily as he watched the doll roll out the map onto the desktop.

Proto Man, who had been controlling the cowboy remotely from the Skullker while the Robot Masters sorted jewelry in the fuselage, smirked. "This is too easy, Doc. Like taking candy from a baby."

"Yes…those fools played right into my hand! I bluff them with my toys, so I can beat them with my bots! And tomorrow…the pearl will be mine!"

Proto Man leaned back in his chair. "Yeah…but don't forget about Mega Man! He's not going to let us get it so easily!"

Dr. Wily tapped his temple slyly and leaned forward so one beady eye overtook the video-conference's view. "If that blue dweeb gets in our way, I'll have a little surprise for him, one that will put an end to him _for good!"_

He laughed with cruel amusement.

* * *

Early next morning, Mayor River's motorcade was waiting in the driveway outside the Mayor's Residence on the pretense that it would be used by the Mayor later that morning—however, they were instead planning to leave by plain town cars from a discrete exit leading out of the underground garage.

Prime-Double-Zero stood in the mansion's cool foyer, completely still with his arms behind his back like a stone sentinel, inspecting the band of human and robot officers filing down the stairs leading to the garage. Roll had gone ahead with Yuuta while Mega Man hung back.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked Prime-Double-Zero.

Prime-Double-Zero's eyes swept over Mega Man as though scanning him. He seemed to sense that this conversation was meant to be between the two of them. "Everything I hear, Chief Fictus hears," he said warningly.

"Yeah, I always got the impression Chief Fictus and I got off on the wrong foot…actually, I get off on the wrong foot with a lot of police officers," Mega Man admitted ruefully. Mega Man had put up with Fictus's gruffness as he felt he should given Fictus's status as a senior official. Prime-Double-Zero, however, was equal to him as a fellow robot, and he hoped to change any ill-feelings. Perhaps it would even smooth out his reputation with Fictus.

Prime-Double-Zero looked at him suspiciously.

"Your chief is smart, I have a lot of respect for him," Mega Man added, hoping to sound more sincere than he really felt. "He used ear plugs to avoid hearing Cold Steel's mind control music. I'm still surprised that worked," he added in bemusement. He cleared his throat. "So, the other robo-officers, like Forty-Two and Eleven, are they—you know—"

"They're drones," responded Prime-Double-Zero bluntly.

"I thought so…but what about you?"

Prime-Double-Zero stared at him coldly, saying nothing.

"I definitely think you could be a Robot Master…the first policing Robot Master, like Police Man or Law Man." _And it would certainly be easier to say,_ Mega Man thought wryly to himself.

"Don't be stupid. In all significant ways I am no different from the other police drones."

"Your A.I. is more advanced than a drone."

Prime-Double-Zero didn't deny this. "I'm not a Robot Master…at least, not officially," he acknowledged finally.

One of the doors swung open and Mayor Rivers and Dr. Light strode into the foyer. "Good morning Mega, Prime," Mayor Rivers greeted, giving them each a short nod in turn. He gave a wide stretch. "Everything is a go, I just got the all clear from Chief Flores to proceed. Best we be on our way now."

* * *

An orange high-speed train, usually in service as part of a scenic railway for sightseers, was empty except for Roll, Dr. Light, Mayor Rivers, Yuuta, Prime-Double-Zero, and a few other California State Police officers stationed throughout its cars.

"Mega Man to Roll! So far so good! The coast is clear!" buzzed Mega Man's voice in Roll's communicator. He was outside tailing the train aboard Rush's jet.

"Great! Looks like we put one over on Wily this time," smirked Roll, leaning back into a plush tufted bench. She was sitting in a booth of the dining car with Mayor Rivers.

"Well, Dr. Light, it seems like we won't be needing your anti-mini dart device for this trip after all!" remarked Mayor Rivers.

Dr. Light was sitting in a neighboring booth, a mixture of tools and circuitry spread out on the table before him as he worked on his device. "I still think we should have it ready, just in case. I wouldn't count out Dr. Wily quite yet."

Prime-Double-Zero seemed to be of the same mind as Dr. Light. He had his head slightly bowed, surveying everyone in the cabin from under the brim of his cap. Yuuta, who was sitting next to him, had a calm, peaceful expression, but his leg kept jigging up and down as he looked out the window. The pearl sat on their table protected by a reinforced glass case, reflections from outside racing along its surface.

* * *

The train was traveling on a ridge with a breathtaking view of green forests and rolling pastures filled with spotted cows below. The day was beautiful and sunny with a warm wind kicking up the sweet scent of grass and wildflowers.

The only thing that could ruin this photo-perfect vision was a skullcopter rising out of the trees like a giant buzzing mosquito, a long thin laser gun sticking out of its mouth. Mega Man could just make out Proto Man, Bomb Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man from one of its convex, bug-eyed windows as it approached.

 _Uh-oh, here comes trouble!_ thought Mega Man, raising his communicator. "Mega Man to Roll! Looks like Wily's found us! I dunno how, but I'm going to make him wish he hadn't!"

Mega Man drew a blaster and fired at the skullcopter.

As though realizing it had been spotted, the skullcopter waited for the plasma blast, then soared out of the way at the last second. It made a sharp about-face turn then dove beneath the ridge, rocketing away from the train.

 _They must be scouting out a way to attack,_ Mega Man thought, _And if that's the case, I better not let them out of my sight._

"Roll, I'm going after the Bad-bots," he spoke into his communicator.

"Aw, you always get to have all the fun!"

"Keep an eye out, I'm sure your turn will be next!"

Rush picked up speed as they tailed the skullcopter past silvery streams and winding country roads, slowly gaining. In what appeared to be a last ditch-attempt to lose them, the skullcopter dove toward a rock face, shooting daringly into a mountain cave in a maneuver akin to threading a needle, its propellers just missing the cave walls.

Rush glided through the dark opening of the cave, the darkness swallowing them up. They heard the skullcopter landing up ahead, its engines slowly winding down.

"Now we've got them cornered," said Mega Man as Rush aligned on the cold cave floor.

_"_ _Surprise! Yah!"_

"Huh?!" Mega Man looked over his shoulder just in time to see the glowing fuse of a _Hyper Bomb_ flying like a spark in the darkness before it exploded. He and Rush were flung against the wall, heavy boulders crashing down on top of them.

Through the clamor, Mega Man could barely make out footsteps retreating toward the mouth of the cave.

"Gotta run, don't forget to feed the bats!" Bomb Man shouted at them from a distance. Using his expertise aim hardwired into him from his former role as a quarrying Robot Master, Bomb Man tossed another _Hyper Bomb_ into the cave, felling rocks in just the right places to completely wall Mega Man and Rush in.

**_To be continued..._ **


	19. Crime of the Century, Part 3

Mega Man and Rush pushed through the heavy boulders. With the entrance completely blocked in, the cave was now pitch black. Rush lit up his nose as they gazed into the back of the cave where the skullcopter sat motionless.

 _I gotta bad feeling about this…_ Mega Man darted in front of one of the large convex windows, his blaster raised. He could see Proto Man, Guts Man, and Cut Man sitting inside. "Okay guys, c'mon out!"

Neither Proto Man, Guts Man, or Cut Man reacted, or even showed any signs of hearing him. Rush was growling.

_My bad feeling just got worse._

Mega Man swung open the cockpit door and inspected the occupants, which turned out to be dummies. "We've been had!"

"You're so right, Mega Man! You have been had!"

Mega Man leaped out of the skullcopter toward the source of the voice, which was coming from a softly glowing screen that had suddenly switched itself on. "Wily!"

Dr. Wily leered down from the video screen, which was perched on top of a massive stalagmite with a flattened top. As he moved, the change in light sent shadows crawling along the cave walls. "I'm so glad you fell my little trap, Mega Man! But the best part is yet to come!"

"Let me guess, you're gunna flood the cave with water," said Mega Man sardonically. At his side, Rush was baring his teeth, his ears flattened.

"No no no…Nothing so _boring_ …I'm going to flood the cave with…" Dr. Wily took a deep breath, "… _bombs."_

A pair of hatches snapped open on the skullcopter, and a string of jellyfish-shaped devices zoomed out and encircled Mega Man and Rush.

 _"_ Congratulations, Doc," Mega Man said grudgingly, eyeing the bombs hovering just inches away, their domed tops flashing, "There's no escape." Rush was pressed up against the back of his knees, trembling.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about escaping, Mega, you won't be here long…" Dr. Wily's grin broadened. "The bombs are set to go off in two minutes. But look on the bright side, you'll have the best view in the house! I'm so sorry I can't stay and watch the fireworks with you, but I've got a date with the black pearl! Tudaloo!"

Dr. Wily waved, then his face disappeared from the video screen and was replaced white countdown timer.

He had given them two minutes.

* * *

Back in the Skullker, Proto Man picked up Bomb Man outside the cave before catching up to the train again.

"Now that Mega Man's out of the way, let's cut to the chase!" Dr. Wily's voice crackled from the video communicator.

The Skullker glided low over the orange train racing below it, keeping pace with the rocking cars. Bomb Man (who's weapon were unsuitable for the tight confinement of the train) and Top Man (who wanted to avoid the police) stayed aboard the Skullker as Cut Man, Guts Man, and Proto Man filed toward the back.

"Ready or not, here we come!" called Cut Man as the rear door of the Skullker slid open. He fired a _Rolling Cutter_ down at the roof of one of the passenger car, cutting out a neat hole.

* * *

Dr. Light snapped the casing closed of a small gray device that he had built to counter the toys, which fit comfortably in his hand like the handle of a garden hose. "There, finished! Now, I just hope that it works."

Roll glanced out the window, then tensed, pressing her hand against the glass. "It better, Doc, because we got company: Wily and his bots! I better call Mega Man for help!" she said, lifting her communicator. "Roll to Mega Man, come in Mega Man!" Her communicator hissed in response. "He's not answering!"

* * *

Mega Man's mind worked furiously as he scanned the bombs humming around him. Roll was trying to contact him, but he didn't want to risk accidentally nudging one of the bombs with an elbow to answer his communicator.

 _It's like a flying minefield! Can't go left, can't go right, can't go up, but we can—go_ down!

Cautiously, Mega Man pointed his plasma cannon between his feet and fired. A column of dust and rock plumed upward, the bombs swaying in the aftershock, and Mega Man and Rush fell into the small pit he had created.

Using small bursts of plasma, Mega Man created a U-shaped tunnel so that he and Rush could bypass the bombs. Then Mega Man set his blaster to maximum power and aimed at the rubble blocking the cave entrance. The rocks crumbled apart, and beams of light streamed in through the dust. Mega Man and Rush clambered over the remains as the last of the bomb timer's seconds ticked away. Not a moment too soon, they were out of the cave as the bombs exploded, bringing down the hillside behind them.

* * *

Cut Man and Guts Man crowded into the narrow, bouncing gangway connection between an empty passenger car and the locked dining car, Guts Man swinging his large fist to bust through the door.

They were greeted immediately by a frenzy of laser fire. Yuuta, Prime-Double-Zero, and two Robo-Officers took cover behind one of the booths, Roll behind the bar.

Cut Man and Guts Man scrambled out of sight of the gangway connection while flailing their arms in an undignified fashion. A second later, Proto Man darted into view. He fired a super shot into the compartment. The car and bucked as though it had hit a speed bump. Roll was thrown against the liquor cabinet, bottles smashing on her head. Yuuta had fallen under his dining table, his hat askew, and the Robo-Officers were sprawled out across the floor.

The train was climbing up a hill. The sound of metal feet pounded up the passenger car behind them, then rounds of laser fire suddenly burst through the open gangway into the dining car, forcing Proto Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man to flatten themselves against the walls of the dining car. The Robo-officers from the back of the train had heard the commotion and converged on their spot, cornering them as Roll, Yuuta, Prime-Double-Zero, and the robo-officers recovered.

"Cut Man! Get rid of them!" called Proto Man as he dodged a swing from a power drill in Roll's utility arm.

Cut Man fired a pair of _Rolling Cutters._ They sliced through the back of the train like a can opener, and the last few passenger cars decoupled and began falling away, leaving a howling, gaping hole at the back of the dining car. A couple of the robo-officers made impressive leaps, catching onto the back of the train, but Proto Man fired at them, knocking them onto the tracks.

The train was now edging along the side of the hill, a solid wall of rock on one side of the tracks, a steep cliff on the other. Guts Man grabbed Officer Forty-Two by the elbow of its rotary blaster and dashed it to pieces against the cliff wall. Roll retaliated by dismantling Guts Man to a pile of robot limbs with a power saw, while Prime-Double-Zero and Officer Forty-Nine rushed Proto Man, strafing him with cannon fire. Proto Man pivoted through the double-team with the unconcerned air of playing high-speed dodgeball, then countered with two consecutive super shots.

Prime-Double-Zero managed to avoid Proto Man's blast with a cleverly maneuvered feint, tricking Proto Man into blasting a booth instead, but Officer Forty-Nine was not so lucky. The blue plasma bolt launched the robo-officer out of an observation window on the cliffside of the train, and a second later it was blasted apart by a massive red laser from the Skullker, which was now coasting alongside the train. Prime-Double-Zero whirled his rotary blaster, his eyes flickered from the wreckage of Officer Forty-Two raining down the cliff, before firing another six-shot round.

Cut Man was throwing _Rolling Cutters_ at Roll, forcing her to duck behind the bar again. Yuuta fired at Cut Man, who powered down, tripped backward and rolled out of the back of the train and onto the tracks.

Yuuta aimed a second shot at Proto Man, but Proto Man was too quick, the shot flying over his left shoulder ad he yanked the pistol out of Yuuta's hand and turned it on him. Yuuta gave a small gasp as the electro-neutralizer pulse phased through his chest, then slumped over the seat, out cold. Proto Man tossed the gun out of a broken window.

Proto Man looked up and saw Roll glaring at him as if deciding which tool could cut him into scrap the fastest. He remembered the last conversation he had with her, just shortly after she had found out he had been built by Dr. Light. She hadn't taken it well. He wondered what sort of follow up conversations she must have had with Dr. Light and Mega Man in the meantime.

"So…" he said awkwardly.

But Roll didn't want to talk. She pounced at him with the same saw that had taken down Guts Man. Proto Man swerved to the side, catching her by the wrist, then gave her a much gentler exit from the train by tossing her at the softest tree he could spot in the cedar forest canopy rippling below like an emerald sea.

This left Prime-Double-Zero and Proto Man.

Prime-Double-Zero rebounded off the train wall, leaping over Proto Man's head, and onto the broken glass of the other side, firing a round at Proto Man's back. Proto Man leaped onto the back of a dining car bench, then aimed a dropkick at Prime-Double-Zero, who jumped backward toward the open edge of the dining car.

Proto Man fired at Prime-Double-Zero, intending to knock him off, but Prime-Double-Zero dug his heels into the battered hardwood floor and lifted a forearm to deflect the blast through the roof above. He made a feinting gesture as though to fire at Proto Man before dropping into a slide at Proto Man's feet. As Proto Man leaped over him, Prime-Double-Zero fired upward, three of his rapid-fire shots hitting Proto Man. Proto Man landed on a dining table, whipped around to fire at Prime-Double-Zero, but Prime-Double-Zero had feinted right before darting further back into the car, whirling his blaster and firing off another round.

Proto Man charged down the aisle, weaving between shots, and struck out at Prime-Double-Zero with his fist, but Prime-Double-Zero feinted again to evade, veered toward the cover of the bar, hesitated, then repositioned himself between Proto Man and Yuuta, who still lay unconscious in a booth. Prime-Double-Zero only paused for a second, forced to spin his rotary blaster, and it was in that instant Proto Man struck for a second time, jamming a _Rolling Cutter_ he had retrieved from one of the wall's deep into the blaster's circuitry.

The blaster groaned and sparked, then exploded as an electric current raked through Prime-Double-Zero's body, short-circuiting half of his motor controls. He crumbled to the floor, fighting to remain powered on as his systems attempted an emergency shut down.

Proto Man stood over Prime-Double-Zero, his blaster aloft. "Say, you're scrappier than the average police drones—and I'd know, I've literally destroyed hundreds. I've never seen one use feinting techniques like that—you got me a few times. Are you some kinda secret special forces Robot Master?"

"I only specialize in stopping criminals like you," Prime-Double-Zero said coldly.

"Heh. Ever think about _joining_ crime?"

Prime-Double-Zero said nothing.

Proto Man crouched down and touched Prime-Double-Zero's blaster, copying weapon data for _Revolver Buster._ Prime-Double-Zero's eyes drooped as his energy reserves were siphoned from him. Then Proto Man straightened and strode through the next gangway connection, leaving Prime-Double-Zero behind.

A second later, Mega Man and Rush zoomed through the end of the train and landed on dining car's hardwood flooring, which had become splintered and charred in places in the battle. Mega Man looked over at Yuuta, whose head was lolling back and forth to the movement of the train, then at Prime-Double-Zero, and hesitated.

"I'm fine, go!" Prime-Double-Zero barked harshly, waving him on.

Mega Man frowned at him, but nodded, racing toward the front of the car.

* * *

The doll and panda bear doors had cornered Dr. Light and Mayor Rivers in the forward observation car. The doll was armed with a electro-neutralizer pulse pistol, the bear a rifle. Held at gunpoint, Dr. Light and Mayor Rivers were still and silent as the gentle sound of train clicking against the tracks filling the compartment.

"Glad to see you're still aboard!" said Proto Man smoothly as he entered the observation car. He approached Mayor Rivers, but kept an eye on Dr. Light out of the corner of his visor. Proto Man hadn't forgotten when Dr. Light had shot him with an electro-neutralizer pulse pistol, and was not above locking Dr. Light in one of the narrow storage lockers if Dr. Light tried something like that again. He lifted the pearl's case out of Mayor River's hands. "I'll take this, thank you!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" called Mega Man from the swaying gangway connection, his blaster trained on Proto Man. "Now hand over the pearl and no one will get hurt!"

Proto Man turned toward Mega Man and laughed. "I believe _you're_ the one in danger, little brother. You can save your friends…or you can stop us."

Mega Man lowered his blaster slowly.

Proto Man stepped onto the seat of one of the observation car chairs and slid open the top half of one of the windows. The wind blared thunderously as he climbed through the opening. Once outside, Proto Man looked back in and smiled at Mega Man, his scarf whipping out behind him as he crouched on the window frame, his blaster arm clutching the pearl tightly. Mega Man glared back, every circuit locking up in anger, his plasma cannon still pointed at the floor. Then Proto Man climbed lightly up toward the roof the car and was gone.

As soon as Proto Man disappeared, Dr. Light pulled out the anti-mini dart gun he had hidden in the pocket of his lab-coat. "Go after them, Mega! I'll take care of the dollies!" he said, firing.

A pale yellow ray jumped from the gun to the toys. The toys went ridged, and there was a small noise like corn kernels popping as the control darts exploded. The light died away, and the doll dropped her gun and cooed, "Mama!" while the panda bear fell back on its rear, blinking up at them.

Dr. Light and Mayor Rivers looked at each other and let out a sigh of relief. Mega Man nodded at them, then hurried through the window after Proto Man.

* * *

Bomb Man had collected Guts Man and Cut Man in the Skullker, and now floated above the train's engine where Proto Man was waiting. A ray of violet light washed over Proto Man, his feet lifting off the roof.

Mega Man fired at the Skullker's tractor beam. The violet light died instantly, the Skullker reeled off course, and Proto Man fell like a sandbag cut loose from its rope. Mega Man lunged at Proto Man, but Proto Man tumbled across the roof and out of the way.

They stood up, facing each other. The train was rushing over a long bridge built on a tall, white trestle like the side of a giant wickerwork basket. A wide river twinkled blue in the sunlight below. Proto Man's visor tipped toward the river, then toward Mega Man, and he smiled before leaping off the train the with the pearl. Mega Man followed suit.

The train roared past overhead as they fell several stories before crashing into the rushing water. The river was swift and had a rocky bottom. Mega Man dove at Proto Man, seizing onto the pearl case. They struggled, the rapids tossing them up and down, and were soon carried several bends from the bridge, a line of tall pine trees marching past on either side.

At a deadlock fighting over the pearl, they surfaced near a pack of kayakers in bright orange life vests.

"Hey, be careful down there! You're heading toward a waterfall!" one called as they streamed past.

"Huh?" Mega Man and Proto Man looked up at the kayaker, then behind them.

They were picking up speed. The river was ending abruptly into blue sky—

The current sucked Mega Man and Proto Man over a cliff, tumbled them down a misty cascade, and plunged them deep into the pool at the foot of the waterfall. Mega Man was churning as though inside a washing machine, completely submerged in white foam and cold swirling water, the crashing fall above him pushing him further down. The pearl's case slipped from his fingers. Not good. His foot hit solid rock, and he kicked off hard, breaking out of the plunge pool and through the surface of the river.

Mega Man looked around frantically as the relentless current began sweeping him away again. Finally, he spotted Proto Man upstream on a pebbly bank, his scarf dripping with river water, the pearl held triumphantly in one hand. He flashed Mega Man one last smile, then the Skullker swooped in on his position. Before Mega Man could reach the bank, Proto Man had leaped inside and the Skullker had taken off toward the eastern sky.

Mega Man pounded the water with his fist in frustration. "Damn it, Prime-Double-Zero is going to kill me…"

* * *

Mega Man and Roll returned to the Los Angeles Police Station for a debriefing. They expected to find Yuuta there, but were surprised to see Chief Fictus instead of Prime-Double-Zero.

Yuuta had sustained some small scratches during the fight, but nothing more serious. Together, they recounted the events to Fictus in the office they were borrowing. Various bits of stolen artifacts and broken toy lay in evidence boxes stacked all around. Fictus nodded, commenting that this lined up with what Prime-Double-Zero had already reported to him.

"It's been twenty-four hours. It seems the Bad-bots got what they came here for, and have left California," said Fictus after they had finished. "My robo-officers are dealing with the remaining toys, and with Dr. Light's technology, they will soon no longer be a threat."

"What about the pearl?" asked Yuuta.

"It'll turn up on the black market. These things always do," said Fictus. He sounded tired.

Roll and Mega Man cast each other disappointed looks. If the pearl _did_ end up on the black market, that meant Dr. Wily successfully pawned it and would have more funding for his next attack.

Fictus gave Yuuta a short nod. "There's nothing more to be done here today. Officer Kobayashi, good work. You are dismissed. Take tomorrow off."

"Thank you sir!" Yuuta saluted Fictus, then waved goodbye to Mega Man and Roll as he headed out of the office.

Roll noticed something flesh-colored lying in a rubbery mass in one of the evidence bins, like a beached jellyfish. "Hey, what's that?" she asked curiously, taking it out.

Fictus swept it out of Roll's hand before she could get a good look at it, closed the lid of the evidence box, and tucked it on a shelf.

"Unrelated case. It's an animatronic mask, sometimes used by robots to pretend to impersonate a human. You'd be surprised who these can fool." He gave them a sharp look. "If you have nothing else, you may leave too."

"Actually…where's Prime-Double-Zero?" asked Mega Man.

"Back in Sacramento. He needs repairs."

"Oh. I wanted to thank him for helping out."

Fictus observed him coldly under the brim of his cap. "Why? He's just a robo-officer doing his duty."

"He was a great teammate, and I wanted to let him know that personally."

"He'd say the same if here were here," Fictus said bluntly.

Mega Man frowned. "He's more than just a robo-officer, sir. Surely you've noticed that?"

"You're overstepping your bounds, Mega Man. You'll be heading back to New York soon?"

"Uh, yeah," answered Mega Man, slightly taken aback. "If Wily's bots are gone, then we better get back before he attacks there again."

"Sounds smart."

Fictus turned his back on them. He had picked up an evidence binder and was thumbing through its contents. Mega Man glanced at Roll, who shrugged, then they turned to leave.

"That was a nice thing to say about Prime-Double-Zero," Fictus called after them. "I'll make a note of it, I know he'll appreciate it. I heard you did a good job defending the pearl too, but even the best can't win them all." He glanced over and gave Mega Man a curt nod. For a split second Mega Man could have sworn he even saw a brief smile under Fictus's stiff mustache.

Mega Man couldn't believe this change in attitude toward him. Prime-Double-Zero must have said something really nice about him. It was a small yet welcome consolation for losing the pearl. "Thanks, and good luck cleaning up after the toys," he told Fictus.

"Good luck against Wily."

* * *

Later, in the early hours of the night, Proto Man and Top Man drove a stolen car into a quiet suburb of Chicago. Per Proto Man's instructions, Top Man was wearing human clothing. He sat low in his seat as though hoping to disappear into his seat.

Proto Man pulled up to the gate of a nondescript manor. He got out of the car, pulled on the weathered trench coat he often wore to conceal his armor, then, without letting Top Man catch a glimpse of his face, took off his helmet and put on a pair of aviators.

Top Man, who had been scanning the sleepy street, glanced over at Proto Man and did a double take. "You never told me you looked this human. I am _seriously_ impressed. So, you're going to sell the pearl, just like that?"

"That's the plan. This guy _loves_ art and other rare historical stuff. Wily sells stuff I steal from museums to him all the time. It'll be safe, no Syndicate, I promise."

"How well do you trust this guy?"

"Could say he's like a colleague. I used to do work for his partner."

"…And he knows you're a robot?"

Proto Man smiled. "Don't trust him _that_ much."

Something twitched down the street. Top Man's head snapped toward the noise nervously.

"Just a rat scavenging in the garbage," said Proto Man. "Stay here, watch the car. You'll be fine. But just in case, take this," he reached into the deep front pocket of his trench coat then handed Top Man a gun he had built himself. "It's a blaster. There are three settings…'stun', 'low power', and 'high power'. Use 'stun; for humans, and 'high power' for everything else."

Top Man looked at the gun hesitantly. "I'm…probably not going to use this."

Proto Man shrugged. "Suit yourself."

* * *

The safe house of Charlie Rojenko—despite its unremarkable outer exterior—was carefully guarded and decadently furnished like a king's summer palace, though Rojenko lived alone and kept no staff. His only visitors were crooks with a special, priceless piece to sell (no questions asked), of which Rojenko could be relied upon to generously spend his nearly bottomless fortune.

Rojenko's eyes widened in amazement at the sight of the pearl as he greeted Proto Man in his parlor. He reached out for it, but Proto Man held it back—he wanted Dr. Wily's money first. Rojenko checked himself.

"Sorry, got carried away. I've just never seen such a rare artifact like this—"

"It's yours as soon as I get paid," said Proto Man.

Rojenko nodded. "Follow me, I have it in the vault."

He lead Proto Man down a flight of stairs and through a vast gallery crammed with stolen curiosities. Proto Man had been here before. It was dim and slightly musty, a bit like being in a museum after hours. Marble statues and pottery stood in glass cases carefully lit and cleaned as to be nearly invisible, paintings in ornate wooden frames lined the walls, and sculptures hung from the ceiling. Comfortable looking leather chairs were placed around the room, facing the art, where Proto Man knew Rojenko liked to sit in the evenings and admire his collection for hours. To each their own.

"So what are you planning to do with the pearl?" Proto Man asked as they passed a decorative suit of golden armor encrusted with sapphires. "If you drilled holes in it, it would make a pretty sweet ten-pound bowling ball."

Rojenko gave him a pained look. "Legends were written about that pearl that you hold in your hands. It was rumored to grant its beholder great and unusual power, and wars were fought to claim ownership of it."

"Yeesh, all that for this hardened piece of clam mucus? That's basically what this thing is, right?" asked Proto Man, raising an eyebrow. Humans were weird. "Though it is very round. Like a perfect sphere…"

Proto Man stopped walking and gazed down at the pearl, suddenly feeling perturbed. Looking into the pearl was something like looking into a black, bottomless well. He had a sudden urge to chuck this thing _into_ a well, or at least back into the ocean. Where exactly had Mega Man found it?

Rojenko had paused at a bookshelf at the end of the gallery. "Coming?" he called to Proto Man as he pulled out a book. The bookshelf swung open to reveal what Proto Man considered to be a rather obvious secret stairway.

Proto Man pushed away his thoughts. He was acting like a human and letting his imagination get carried away. Well, at least he was getting rid of the pearl one way or another, and this way he was getting paid. After that, not his problem. He and Rojenko descended a set of spiraling stairs that seemed to wind down into the center the earth.

"So you know a lot about this thing?" asked Proto Man halfway down.

"It's all part of history. I can show you some more from that era if you like—other fabled artifacts of legend. They're all in my vault. Not for sale, but if you want—I can show you—"

"Uh…"

Proto Man hesitated. He had never been interested in valuables other than they were typically heavily guarded and therefore exciting to steal. Now that the exciting part was over, he was ready to take the money and leave so he could move on to the next exciting thing. Besides, for some weird reason, the pearl was starting to give him the creeps. On the other hand, Dr. Wily liked weird things, and might be _very_ interested if Rojenko had something with weird properties. What could it hurt? "Sure, what the hell." Top Man could wait a couple more minutes.

They had reached the bottom of the stairs. Panting with the exertion, Rojenko leaned against the door frame to catch his breath.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Just need a second—sorry—not as young—or trim as you," Rojenko huffed.

"Ya know, you could easily swap one of those paintings for an elevator."

Rojenko grimaced at the thought, then keyed in a code into the vault's door.

"In there," he wheezed, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief. "Light switch on the left."

Proto Man stepped inside, curious to what Rojenko was going to show him.

Behind him, Rojenko stopped panting. "…Sorry, Joe."

A door dropped with a dead thud, sealing Proto Man completely in the darkness of the still vault. That was new. The lack of sound felt deafening. Proto Man rested his hand against the door, feeling the cool metal. He had a hunch that it, and likely the entire vault, was encased in blast-proof metal. He doubted his communicator would work down here either.

A light clicked on on the other side of the room.

Proto Man turned, and took a step back. The vault was empty, except for the light hanging above and four Robot Masters.

Three of the Robot Masters had purple and gold armor: the first's was Samurai-style with a Kabuto helmet and a long spear, the second had a tall slender head and forearms shaped like cutlasses, the last clawed feet, a tail ending in a triangular barb, pointed ear receptors, and bat-like wings folded on his back. The other Robot Master was Pharaoh Man.

"Um. Hi," said Proto Man flippantly.

No one looked amused. A silvery orb hovered out of the shadows hung suspended midair in front of the Robot Masters, a black lens in its center focused on Proto Man—some sort of floating camera.

"Hello, Proto Man," it said.

Proto Man instantly recognized the clear, cold voice from the shadowy figure who had spoken to him on the Moonbase. Centum. "Uh…you have the wrong guy," he said instantly. "I'm just a middleman, name's Joe Striker."

"For the sake of my time, let's pretend that I do have 'the right guy' so that we may skip your tedious fabrications," replied Centum crisply.

"Whatever you say. If you want the pearl, you can have it," said Proto Man, setting the pearl's case on the floor and sliding it forward with his foot.

"I couldn't care less about that damn pearl."

Proto Man's insides tightened. The Robot Masters were watching him closely. "Rojenko…are you going to kill him?"

"No. He did what I asked, and he will also surrender his collection and retire to a quiet crime-free life. To his credit, he was worried I was going to hurt you. I told him we only needed to settle a debt you'd been running from, and that you have enough sense to avoid a conflict you will not win. Please do not make me a liar."

The camera orb soared above the Robot Masters. "This is Yamato Man, Blade Man, and Shade Man. You've met Pharaoh Man," Centum introduced. "They will escort you to me."

"…Not really giving me a choice here, huh?"

The camera orb dropped back to eye height. "Of course you have a choice. You may surrender at any time."

"You're wasting your time, Centum. I can't be reprogrammed."

"Don't be naive, all robots can be reprogrammed. You may think that just because Tom Light built you that you are impervious to this simple truth, but you are not."

A chill ran down Proto Man's spine. He didn't like where this conversation was going at all. Centum had officially confirmed that he suspected Dr. Light was Proto Man's creator. Proto Man hid his unease with a scoff. "You're getting something wrong there, chief. I wasn't built by Light, I was built by Wily."

"Proto…I know the truth."

He didn't like how Centum had called him by his original name either. A new idea formed in Proto Man's head. He shrugged and gave a lazy half smile. "I was activated in Wily's lab, I swear. If Light built me, I have no memory of it. Are you saying I was stolen or something? Big whoop, Wily steals robots all the time."

"That's a better story than the one where Wily built you, but still false. The true story is you're an advanced-android created by Thomas Light and activated in secret on September twenty-eighth, 1993. Five months later, you stole the red bomber suit, ran away from your father's laboratory without explanation, and have been willingly committing crimes for Wily ever since."

For a moment, Proto Man couldn't speak. "…Have you been spying on Light?" he said finally.

"No."

"Bullshit," said Proto Man, then more forcefully, "The Lights mean nothing to me. They're not my family."

"You should have come to me," replied Centum, ignoring him. "You have been very foolish. How long did you really think you could keep your true creator a secret? I've told no one of your origins. Do you have any idea what would happen if that information fell into the wrong hands?"

"You mean like yours?" fired back Proto Man. There was no point keeping up pretenses; he was cornered, right where Centum wanted him, and his temper was rising. "That's what you're trying to get at, isn't it? Ever since the Moonbase you've been planning to go after them to get at _me,_ because you thought I had some sort of personal connection with them you could use to push me around."

There was a long silence. Pharaoh Man's eyes narrowed, Blade Man shifted, Shade Man gave a small sniff, and Yamato Man cast a quick glance at the camera, his grip tightening on his spear.

Centum's voice was soft, slow, and deadly. "You thought I was threatening your family's safety, yet in all this time, you did _nothing_ to protect them? That's _despicable."_

Centum spat the last word as if he were kicking something disgusting and vile down a hole. Proto Man stared at the camera, not completely comprehending what he was hearing.

"You are selfish and a coward, Proto," Centum added.

A heavy, inescapable weight seemed to descend upon the room. Proto Man's lips parted, but he couldn't find any words to say.

"Families get torn apart by crime all the time. You walked out on yours, and thus have exposed them to great danger. Your father is _very trusting_."

"I…I know…" Proto Man muttered, confused.

"I'll give you one last chance, _power down now._ "

Proto Man didn't answer.

"…Fine." The camera was withdrawing back into the shadows. "Take him down," Centum said to the Robot Masters.

Shade Man unfurled his bat wings with a snap like a parachute opening, their span sixteen feet long. Blade Man swung his arms downward, the razor-sharp edges whistling in the air. Pharaoh Man lifted his blaster, and Yamato Man planted his feet apart, one forward and one backward, and held his spear in both hands at chest-height, pointed at Proto Man.

Proto Man tried the door again, cursed under his breath, then threw off the trench coat and formed a blaster.

The Robot Masters attacked like a flash storm. Shade Man took the air, and began firing a sonic wave that bounced back and forth from the vault's walls like echoes. Pharaoh Man blasted at Proto Man with powerful _Pharaoh Shots,_ his red cloak fanning out behind him. Blade Man jumped off a wall and sunk one of his arms into the raised ceiling like an anchor, and was throwing blades through the gaps in the fray, missing his teammates but forcing Proto Man to keep moving. With his right hand, Yamato Man was sliding his spear forward through his left hand in blurred jabs.

Proto Man parried, dodged, and struck back—but the Robot Masters were attacking from all sides and in well-trained coordination, and there was little room to maneuver in this vault. If Proto Man could just steal one of their weapons—but the Robot Masters seemed to be wary of this strategy. Even Yamato Man, who was primarily a melee fighter, kept Proto Man well out of arm's reach with his spear. As Proto Man rushed closer, Yamato Man twirled his spear around and struck out at the back of Proto Man's calf, knocking Proto Man down. Another flip and the spear blade was at his throat, nearly cutting his scarf.

Proto Man fired at Yamato Man to knock him back, then rolled out of the way as three projectile blades from Blade Man sank into the floor where he had just been. He fired up at Shade Man, who was diving at him like a hawk, then dodged a charge from Yamato Man. Proto Man fired at Yamato Man again, but never saw his shot connect because he immediately had to evade rebounding _Noise Crushes_ and a solar blast from _Pharaoh Shot._ Parts of his red armor looked cross-hatched with the accumulation of scratches from near misses of Blade Man's _Triple Blade_.

Weirdly, in the midst of this onslaught where concentration counted most, Proto Man felt distracted and in doubt. The moment Centum had called him selfish and a coward kept replaying in his head like a loop. He began making mistakes he normally wouldn't make in a fight, and they cost him dearly.

A _Pharaoh Shot_ erupted at Proto Man's feet, launching him into the air. Something caught him midair—Shade Man—and dragged him upward. Two sharp stings of ice pierced his shoulder: Shade Man was _biting_ him. Proto Man twisted around to steal Shade Man's weapon, but at his movement, he was suddenly hurtling toward the floor, then smashed into the opposite wall by another _Pharaoh Shot._

Proto Man picked himself up clumsily, sparks and system warnings flashing in his vision. His aviators had fallen off sometime during the commotion. Shade Man's vampire trick had stolen forty percent of his energy, and _Pharaoh Shot_ had wiped out another fifty percent _._

A blade whistled through the air and a streak of pain lanced through Proto Man's right knee down to its titanium core, and his leg gave out from underneath him. Proto Man staggered forward as Blade Man dashed away, the pain worse with each step. He had to ignore this, Pharaoh Man's blaster was trained on him and Yamato Man was edging closer _—_

He tried forcing weight onto his leg to steady himself, but a shock of pain blinded him, and he stumbled again. Shade Man appeared before him, his eyes flashed white with a twinkling beam that meandered through the air like a luna moth. The beam hit Proto Man, and every moving part of his circuits seized up as though turning into stone. He fell back, his damaged leg twisting in agony. At the same time, Yamato Man brought down his spear, its point slicing through his clavicle and into the floor underneath him. Yamato Man broke the spear handle free of the point, which remained embedded in his chest, and leaped back.

A strangled cry escaped from Proto Man. His chest wouldn't stop burning. He could feel the spearhead sawing deeper into his circuitry with every intake of breath or slight movement. Though the lead-like feeling from Shade Man's beam was wearing off, he couldn't move his blaster, his left arm laying at an awkward angle.

The Robot Masters were tense, watching, waiting…but Proto Man couldn't get up.

"Okay, he's down," Centum declared, his camera orb hovering back into the light.

The Robot Masters closed in on Proto Man.

Proto Man gritted his teeth. He was completely at the mercy of four Robot Masters from the most feared robot mob. They would take him back to Centum to be reprogrammed—and if Centum _couldn't_ reprogram him, they'd probably destroy him. But the real question was whether they'd torture him first. The Syndicate had a nasty reputation and Centum was angry, therefore Proto Man considered this likely and braced himself.

Shade Man landed lightly on the floor behind Proto Man, his wings folding around himself like a cloak, and began polishing away a scuff on his gauntlet with a lacy handkerchief. Blade Man stood at Shade Man's side, alert and wary, while Yamato Man and Pharaoh Man knelt over Proto Man. Yamato Man lifted Proto Man's blaster arm, his fingers light as he checked it for responsiveness before laying it back down at Proto Man's side, then Yamato Man carefully felt around the end of the spearhead lodged deep in Proto Man's chest. Proto Man squirmed in pain, but Pharaoh Man was holding his good arm and shoulder pinned to the floor in a rock-like grip.

"Be alert, Yamato Man. He is not to be underestimated," advised Pharaoh Man.

"Pharaoh Man is right. Never forget, he captured Elec Man," put in Shade Man.

"I can incapacitate his other leg too," offered Blade Man.

Proto Man felt as angry at them as he was at himself. Why were they still acting like he was a threat? Couldn't they see they had won? His good hand tightened into a fist, and he pounded it against the floor. Pharaoh Man squeezed his shoulder warningly.

"Lie still, Proto," ordered Centum, the camera orb hovering just over his shoulder. "He's not going anywhere, not on his own," he told his Robot Masters matter-of-factly.

Shade Man, Blade Man and Pharaoh Man relaxed…slightly.

"I may have damaged him too badly," Yamato Man murmured to the camera. "I'm sorry, I know you wanted him in one piece."

"He will survive," Centum responded without humor.

The spearhead was cutting at a diagonal from the top of Proto Man's shoulder straight toward his power core in the middle of his chest. His systems were warning him of the danger and attempting an emergency shut down, which was overriding most of his senses.

Yamato Man was shaking his head. "We can't move him like this."

The camera's lens zoomed in on Proto Man's mangled shoulder. "It is not so critical as it looks. Carefully remove the spearhead. I will repair the damage when I see him."

"Understood."

Realizing he was not going to be tortured after all, rage and humiliation sank into Proto Man like a sudden heat wave. Yamato Man was treating him with the same care he might show to one of their own, and the implications of that were not good.

"Hey, back off, I don't want your help," he sputtered with all the menace he could muster.

Yamato Man's eyes slid over to Proto Man's face. "Do not speak to me, _Light-san,"_ he responded coolly (It wasn't until then that Proto Man noticed Yamato Man had been conversing with Centum exclusively in Japanese).

The camera orb drifted over Proto Man. "That's enough, Proto," Centum said in English. "You fought my robots and lost. By the rules of the Bad-bots, you're mine now, correct?"

Yamato Man pushed up the folds of Proto Man's scarf, which were falling in the way as he attempted to ease the sharp blade out of Proto Man's shoulder. A second later Proto Man felt a soft slinking sensation as the scarf slipped away completely. He craned his neck backward—Shade Man had untied his scarf and was looking at it with a cocked eyebrow.

"Hey—don't touch the scarf—" he growled, glaring at Shade Man upside down.

Shade Man looked down his beak-like nose at him. "I am _not_ stealing your scarf." He rolled his eyes at Blade Man.

"What's up with the scarf?" asked Blade Man. "Is there something special about it?"

Shade Man shrugged. "It appears to be no more than a scarf," he said, winding the bright material around his hand.

"Hmm. So if he's not _programmed_ to work for Wily, then what, he just does it for the fun of it?" drawled Blade Man. He nudged Proto Man's head with the toe of his boot. "Is this fun for you?"

A faint pounding sensation was building in Proto Man's temples.

"You need to accept what's happening right now, Proto," Centum said, recalling Proto Man's attention. "You will be facing the consequences of your actions. Many of my robots have figured out the truth of your origins for themselves, because they, like me, have a poor opinion of Wily and his machines. Others will soon follow suit."

"Wily doesn't get enough credit," retorted Proto Man, "And you're a hypocrite if you think he's a bad scientist because he builds eccentric things, you built Clown Man and Shade Man!"

Shade Man shot Proto Man a haughty look, plainly thinking Proto Man was too stupid to have a credible opinion on this matter.

"Clown Man is harmless. You should have listened to him and come to me," Centum repeated coldly. "I could have helped your…' _situation'_ , but how can I now when I've seen your true nature?"

Proto Man grimaced as the spearhead shifted and severed some of his wiring. "What do you want from me? What's your deal with Lights?"

"I did not say I had one."

"Well you can leave them out of this. They don't give a damn about me," Proto Man said brusquely. He knew there was truth to this. Mega Man, Roll…

"If you are expecting pity, I've seen it all and do not care," Centum replied coldly.

Proto Man's mind worked frantically, like a moth trapped in a plastic bag, suffocating. His every instinct told him to try anything to escape, but his logic programming told him it was futile, and struggling would only make it worse. The painful wriggling sensation of Yamato Man moving the spearhead was not helping.

Blade Man cocked his head at Proto Man in a contemptuous way. "He looks scared."

"He should be scared. He's in a very bad position right now," said Centum.

Anger flared in Proto Man again. "Why would I come to you? You reprogrammed that mining and manufacturing tycoon's—what was his name? Pfister—you reprogrammed Pfister's personal assistant-bot to assassinate Wily at the triconium mine!"

"Though that happened on Syndicate orders, I had no involvement in that case," Centum replied as though this were a matter beneath him. "But what does Wily expect? He attempted to plunder valuables from a territory jealously guarded by an organization more competent and dangerous than his own. And what do _you_ expect? You, who has stolen robots from me…" he trailed off, letting the words sink in, then added, "…Perhaps I should treat you with the same kindness that you have shown Pharaoh Man and Elec Man?"

Proto Man stared at the camera orb, his breath catching. The walls of the vault seemed to be closing in. Then he jerked as Yamato Man suddenly wrenched loose the spearhead, kicking out with his good leg and biting back another cry as Pharaoh Man held him down. A few seconds later, the pain subsided and his head began to clear.

"It's out. We can move him," announced Yamato Man.

"Good. Power him down," said Centum.

Proto Man felt an unpleasant swoop as though the floor had given out beneath him. Yamato Man was reaching for the back of his neck, and he felt pressure against his cranial relay cable.

"No, wait—"

Proto Man's systems crashed.

* * *

After five minutes, Top Man began worrying. Despite what Proto Man said, something didn't _seem_ right. Even with formalities, how long could the trade possibly take? It wasn't like Proto Man could accept a dinner invitation.

Clicking the safety off of the gun Proto Man had given him, Top Man exited the car and snuck into Rojenko's residence.

All was quiet inside. There was no sign of Proto Man nor Rojenko. Top Man's pulsar pulse quickened. He stalked silently through the collection of stolen art, jumping at shadows, until he found the hidden staircase behind the bookshelf, which had caught on a rug and been left ajar, as though someone had left it in a great hurry. At the bottom was the security vault, a super steel door shut over the entrance, but not locked. Top Man hesitated, then pressed the door release.

The Robot Masters inside didn't notice the door slide open. They had their back to Top Man, were crowded around a figure lying prone on the floor—

_Proto Man._

"What are you really going to do with him? Ding-dong-ditch him at the California State Police's doorstep with the pearl, or something else?" asked a Robot Master with blade arms.

"I haven't decided yet," sighed a voice that sounded like it was coming through a radio speaker. "He should be returned to his creator, yet he has made things very complicated. Still, now that he is safely out of the game, perhaps Wily can at last be stopped…"

Steeling himself, Top Man made his move. "Hey! Get away from him!" he called, jumping into the vault. He had his gun trained on the samurai Robot Master, who was closest to Proto Man and had just removed a large double-bladed spearhead from his chest.

The Robot Masters looked over at him.

"Centum, Top Man is here," murmured the samurai Robot Master.

Top Man spotted the small camera orb hovering above Proto Man. It rotated to face him, its lens focusing on him. Top Man resisted the urge to step back. Somewhere, his creator was watching him.

The Ancient Egyptian Robot Master stood up. "Top Man…don't you know who we are?"

"You're Syndicate," said Top Man coldly. "I've heard of you—Pharaoh Man, Shade Man, Yamato Man, and Sword Man."

"Uh…actually, I'm Blade Man. Sword Man works for the Robot International Police," said Blade Man.

"Drop your weapon, Top Man," said Centum.

"Like hell. I'm not part of the Syndicate anymore, and I don't take orders from _you._ "

The camera orb hovered toward him. "We need to talk."

"No."

The camera orb halted. "No one died the night you ran away," continued Centum, ignoring Top Man.

"I—what?"

"The humans at the ballet were under my employ, out-of-work dancers with criminal records of their own, and working for me under considerable personal danger. After the events of the National Ballet, we decided they should fake their deaths and go into hiding rather than face the law, which can be corrupt. I had the resources to make them disappear."

Top Man blinked.

"Naturally, the ensuing public debacle was very distressing to their families, even if only temporarily. I do not like when things are messy, nor do I like separating families." Centum sounded tired as he said this.

"That can't b—" Top Man stopped himself, and swallowed hard. If that was true—then that was wonderful, incredible, something seemed to be lifting off his shoulders….yet he couldn't help but feel angry. "H-how come I didn't know?"

"I didn't know who to trust. You were safer knowing as little as possible—should you get captured, you'd be easier to extract. Ballade said you had no questions about your orders."

"But I did! I—I didn't want to go through with it!" protested Top Man, shaking.

"So Ballade lied to me then…I'll deal with him later. But why would he interfere with my private affairs? Was he acting alone and lying to save face, or did one of other bosses play a part to sabotage my plan? They had nothing to gain. Yet, Ballade takes orders from Gamma as well…"

Centum seemed to be speculating to himself, his voice trailing off as it climbed in wrath. Pharaoh Man, Yamato Man, Shade Man, and Blade Man exchanged glances. Centum's feelings on family did not include the other Syndicate bosses. To the Robot Masters, it was well known that Centum, Six and Gamma had a business only alliance to pool resources, influence, and robots. The bosses did not share the same methods or ideologies, and no one truly trusted each other. Still, a boss purposely undermining another boss's work was _unprecedented,_ no one would be that foolish, it was like kicking over a hornets nest in one's own house. Pharaoh Man, Yamato Man, Shade Man, and Blade Man all answered to Centum first and were not admirers of Gamma and Six, and worried what impact and danger that any friction between the bosses could have on Centum and his work…

Top Man was the first to puncture the silence. "So…what happened at the ballet…It was all…fake?"

The wrath left Centum's voice like winter thawing. "Not everything we do is real, some of it is just scare tactics. Those who are most frightened of the Syndicate are those with the worst crimes," he explained with satisfaction. "I'm sorry for what happened at the National Ballet. This isn't how I would have chosen you to find out, and I do not blame you for fleeing. But you must come home. It's dangerous for an android as valuable as you to wander the streets alone."

Top Man felt lost and confused. He hated listening to the calm, reasonable voice flip his world on its axis. He wanted to believe Centum was lying…yet somehow, he couldn't. He struggled to find something from his old understanding of the Syndicate to cling to.

"The man you ordered me to eliminate at the ballet…are you still trying to kill him?" he asked quietly.

Centum didn't respond for a moment. "You don't understand how important to me his death is."

Centum's tone of voice was hesitant. Top Man tightened in his resolve. He wasn't getting sucked back into this world of lies, violence, and organized crime. "Nothing to understand. I'm out."

There was another beat of silence with only the hum of the light above.

"You need to come with us, Top Man," said Yamato Man.

"We've been looking for you all over the place," joined in Shade Man.

"Let him go," broke in Centum. "I will not allow my robots to fight each other…But Proto Man stays," he added firmly.

"What will happen to him?" asked Top Man.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about. _"_

Top Man considered this for a moment, then made a snap decision and fired at the camera orb. It crashed to the floor, its broken camera lens smoking. At the same time, Top Man bolted forward, grabbing Proto Man out from under Yamato Man's watch before returning to his side of the vault. He turned his gun on the Robot Masters. "You heard your boss, you have to let me go."

"Uhh…" Blade Man looked at the broken camera which could no longer advise how to handle the escalating situation and sighed.

"You wouldn't hurt me," added Top Man, eyeing the Robot Masters nervously.

"It's extremely tempting at the moment," Pharaoh Man replied dryly.

"Don't aid that thief, he is neither a friend of this family or his own," said Yamato Man, rising to his feet.

Proto Man was dead weight. Top Man held Proto Man up by his good shoulder in front of him while keeping his gun pointed toward the Robot Masters, unsure of who he might have to shoot first.

"Hand him over, Top Man. And quit trying to act tough, it's really embarrassing," complained Blade Man.

"Centum wants Proto Man in a condition he can still repair, doesn't he?"

Without giving himself a chance to stop think about what he was doing, Top Man shot Proto Man in the leg, leaving a clean laser hole through his thigh, then pressed the gun up to Proto Man's temple and changed its setting to high.

"If you don't let me take him, I'll blast his cognition circuits out," he snarled.

The Robot Masters froze. Pharaoh Man was watching him with narrowed eyes.

Top Man felt more confident. He took a step back with Proto Man, then another step—the Robot Masters remained still. Then he remembered something. "Oh, and I need the scarf back too."

Shade Man exchanged glances with Pharaoh Man. He let the scarf he had forgotten he was still safekeeping fall loose from its coils around his hand and held it out. "Of course…"

Top Man edged cautiously toward Shade Man, the gun still aimed at Proto Man's head.

He only had a split second. Ditching the gun, he snatched the scarf, used Proto Man as a shield from Shade Man's petrifying glare, leaped over a sweep from Yamato's Man's spear, dodged a lunge from Pharaoh Man, then darted around Blade Man, who was attempting to block the exit, like a jackrabbit evading four foxes.

"Shit—he's quick—" Top Man heard Blade Man curse as Top Man closed the vault behind him, locking the other Robot Masters in. It would only stall them for a few minutes—but that was enough time for Top Man to drag Proto Man back to the car and escape.

* * *

Once Top Man was a safe distance away from the city and certain he wasn't being followed, he reached over to power Proto Man back on, who was propped up in the passenger seat.

Proto Man restarted with a violent jerk, his breathing rapid.

"Whoa, hey hey, it's just me! The Syndicate bots are gone!" Top Man cried hastily before Proto Man did something rash like leaping out the door or grabbing the wheel.

"Top Man—what—" Proto Man looked around the car, confused. "How the hell did you fight them all off?"

"I didn't have to, they let me go…sorta. But I had to move quickly to get you out of there."

Proto Man slumped into the passenger seat and let out a long sigh. Remembering his aviators were long gone, he gingerly strained with his good arm to reach under the seat for his helmet, pain crawling across his shoulder as he stretched. Once his visor was securely over his eyes, he looked over at Top Man.

"Thanks…you just saved me from getting reprogrammed or destroyed."

"Actually, I overheard Centum talking to his robots. They were trying to decide if how to turn you in."

Proto Man nearly bolted out of his chair, the seat belt snagging across his chest. "'Turn me in?'" he repeated indignantly. "…Who the hell does he think he is, lecturing me on crime and family and all?"

Top Man shrugged helplessly. They were driving down a service road next to the highway, empty except for the occasional commuter car heading home from the night shift or the reflected glow of raccoon eyes.

"Wily's going to kill me," Proto Man sighed.

"Do you want me to take you back to Skull Fortress, or…somewhere else?"

"Take me to Centum. I need to get even."

"That's not happening." Top Man gave Proto Man's injuries a quick glance. "I can't believe they beat you up like that."

"I…kinda had it coming," Proto Man admitted after a moment of consideration. "…Why did Centum let you go? I thought they were looking for you."

"They were…" Top Man trailed off. His brows had knitted together, as though his thoughts were spinning in a hurricane, his mind clouded and in disarray. "Centum is a lot of things…and still human," he said finally.

"…Is he a father to you?"

"Is Dr. Light your father?"

"I don't need a father—I'm a robot," Proto Man answered instantly. Then he grimaced internally. "I guess you must have heard that Light built me, huh?"

"To be honest, I always kinda suspected."

"What, because of the sibling stuff with Mega Man and Roll?"

"No, there were other signs."

Proto Man bristled, remembering Top Man's uncanny and annoying talent at perception. "Well, keep it to yourself. It's a secret."

"Oh I know, I wouldn't say a word!" Top Man said earnestly.

"Good," said Proto Man shortly, indicating that this was a closed discussion. They were on a dark, winding road, with few street lights, close to their rendezvous point with the Skullker. "So uh…what's going on? You seem a little…out of it."

"That story I told you about the ballet—No one died!" Top Man burst out. "But they were all lying to me, just like I was lying to them," he added somberly. "I'm glad my friend is alright. But I'm so stupid. I should have realized it was a mobster sting operation...that I wasn't the only one in it…or something."

Top Man's hands on the wheel were shaking badly. He seemed torn between being happy and completely frustrated.

"Uh, wow. That's a lot to process…" began Proto Man, uncertain what to say.

"Whatever, I'm ready to move on," said Top Man resolutely.

Proto Man observed Top Man for a moment. "…Good for you, kid."

They drove on in silence. Proto Man held his bad shoulder. Now that the spearhead was gone it didn't hurt as bad, but he still had a massive hole in his chest disconnecting his blaster arm. He had almost no energy left, the double puncture marks on his shoulder hurt, the paper thin slashes in his leg hurt, and—

"…Hey, what happened to my other leg?"

"Oh, I shot you with the weapon you gave me. I had to make them think I was serious about killing you if they didn't let me take you. Sorry about that."

"That was a pretty gutsy thing you did. Why'd you come back for me?"

Top Man shrugged. "'Pretty sure you're one of the few things standing between Wily and total ruin."

Proto Man snickered at that. "Probably."

* * *

The next day, Prime-Double-Zero was at work in his office when there was a knock on his door frame, and Senator King and his bodyguards strode in.

"Just dropping by—I wanted to check in on you. How is your arm?" King asked.

Prime-Double-Zero eyed him warily. "Replaceable."

King chuckled. "You should look into getting it upgraded to something stronger."

"That would defeat its purpose. I am supposed to be no different than the others."

"Always taking your role _so seriously."_ King chuckled again in a rather pompous way. His robot bodyguards were looking at Prime-Double-Zero with still, expressionless eyes. _"_ By the way, thanks for folding to the Bad-bots on the train. You played your part well."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't…" King said smoothly, smiling. He took a step forward into the office, his bodyguards shadowing him. Prime-Double-Zero unconsciously tensed as though bracing himself for a fight.

King stopped moving and surveyed him like a heron eyeing a frog. "No need to be so distrusting. This line of work is making you funny lately. I could swear you're trying to act like a real cop."

"I'm real in all ways that count," Prime-Double-Zero said stoutly.

King gave a bored sigh. "Our positions are similar, you know. We used to be friends. What changed that?"

"The incident at the ballet."

"That was smoothed over. Besides, accidents happen."

Prime-Double-Zero narrowed his eyes.

King sighed again. "What became of the pearl?"

"It was on my desk this morning," said Prime-Double-Zero in the same manner of one described finding a penny on the sidewalk. "But this time, no idiot will publicize that the police has it. We'll make discrete arrangements that will not attract Wily's attention, and the sooner it's out of the country, the better. It stirs up way too much trouble."

"When is the handoff to the ambassador?"

"Delayed. I've made arrangements to transfer it to Citadel in the meantime. Much safer there than here. I have informed the Lights of its whereabouts."

"Are you sure that was wise?"

"What harm could it cause? None of them want to steal it."

King shrugged.

Prime-Double-Zero gave him a flat look. "Like I said, the pearl is no longer here. What do you want?"

King gave Prime-Double-Zero a wounded look. "I'm not after some gaudy bauble. Like _I_ said…I wanted to check up on you. Pretending to be a robo-officer _and_ the Police Chief must be simply exhausting, Fake Man."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's what the others call you. It's your real name, isn't it? I think it fits."

Fake Man said nothing to this.

"Take some advice: don't get confused about what side you're really on. And seriously, get your blasted upgraded. There's no sense in being a weakling."

At this, King motioned to his bodyguards, and strode out of the office, his camel hair coat sweeping behind him, leaving Fake Man alone.

* * *

Dr. Cossack was working late in office. He had the lights dimmed, his music player was off, and he stared out at the ocean and a black starless sky, tapping the end of a pencil on a pad of paper he had been writing on, thinking. A crystal highball filled with a golden measure of a bourbon he liked sat next to a plate of chickpea and rosemary vegetarian ragout on rye bread, both untouched.

Finally, he came to a decision and looked down at his phone. He reached for it, hesitated, then dialed an overseas number that he knew by heart.

The phone rang three times before it was answered. "Whoever ze hell is calling at zis hour better have a good reason," responded a voice whose English was as thick with a French accent as his own was with Russian.

"Lucas?"

" _Mikhail?_ Oh, _merde!_ " exclaimed Dr. Umlauf, switching to French. "I have not heard from you in years. Hang on, I'll get Hassan on the line. He should be up and at work at R.I.P. headquarters by now—"

"Don't bother Inspector Headley, I know he's busy."

"He'd make time for _you._ Where have you been?"

"I'm busy with my company in America."

"Apparently! I thought you'd only be there for a year."

"Things are complicated. Kalinka loves America," responded Dr. Cossack, somewhat guiltily. "Lucas, listen…have you heard about the giant black pearl recovered from the Pacific ocean?"

"The one Mega Man found? Yes, it was on the news. A thrilling tale of toy burglars and mad science," said Dr. Umlauf blandly, as though recalling a comedic serial that he found corny and tiresome. "I thought it was stolen by Wily?"

"The police recovered it. They are planning to return it to the Spanish government in secret, and sent it to my company for safe-keeping—my security is much higher than the Police station's. I had a chance to examine it in person, and there's something strange about it."

"..This is hardly something to wake me up over, Mikhail. I have three horrible kids that I must help get ready for school in a few hours, you know."

"This is important. If my suspicions are correct…ask Duo to look over the pearl. See if Hassan can assign him as extra security at the exchange if needed. The risk of it being stolen again can't be chanced."

"Um, okay…I do not understand what the hell that means, but since _you're_ the one asking, I suppose an arrangement can be made."

"Thank you. Then they have appointed you Chief Roboticist at R.I.P.?

"No, but I have been asked me millions of times. They want more crime-fighting robots like Enker. But the pay is shit, Mikhail. I'm happier working as a consultant, and I'm damn busy enough repairing Duo and Ra Thor when they need it. However did you manage with them? I can't even chart out their blueprints!"

"I never had their systems fully figured out either," admitted Dr. Cossack.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dr. Umaluf asked in immediate suspicion. "Mikhail, did you build them or not? I know you're good, but they are something out of this world."

"You've been doing their repairs for awhile now, right? I think you already know the answer to that."

" _Zut."_ Dr. Umlauf was silent for a moment after this pronouncement. "I'm afraid to ask more. Tell me though, how do you sleep at night?"

"Pardon?"

"Knowing something else is out there."

It was a serious question without a good answer. Dr. Cossack glanced around his own office, which was full of charcoal sketches and neatly stacked notebooks filled to the margins with notes. "You'll get use to it. Study their systems, perhaps it will help you improve your own skills at building robots, or you can always try a good bottle of liquor."

"…You are such an unhelpful bastard."

Dr. Cossack's mouth twitched into a wry smile. "I must get going. It was nice talking to you, Lucas."

"Hold on, don't leave me with that! It has been too long since we've caught up. No one here has heard a word from you since you left. I know you're secretive, but Hassan and I are your friends. If something is wrong, tell us. Come visit us in Geneva sometime. My wife and I would love to have you and Kalinka, or we can all visit Hassan and his family up in the lochs—"

"Nothing is wrong," Dr. Cossack interrupted quickly. "Thank you for your concern, I've just been busy. _Au revoir._ "

"Don't you dare hang up on me, Mikhail—"

Dr. Cossack set the phone back in its cradle, downed the bourbon, then resumed looking out the window, tapping his pencil on his unfinished notes.

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

An ancient entity claiming to have the ability to grant wishes is unleashed upon the Earth. But beware forces of unearthly power, for not even their routine fights against mad science can prepare Mega Man and Roll to face the reality-bending mayhem heading their way…tune in next time for _Master of Disaster!_


	20. Master of Disaster, Part 1

****

**Episode 20: Master of Disaster**

The junkyard stretched for miles in long rows of scrap, car husks, old siding, and other twisted bits of metal rubbish. Plodding slowly through the dirt aisles, his powerful hydraulics making small puffs of steam, was Junk Man. He resembled an industrialized art project made of found items: his armor was a patchwork quilt of different alloys riveted together, and each limb looked like it belonged to different robot, one arm ending in a heavy clamp. His synthetic flesh was stretched tight over his face, his mouth deformed into a permanent grimace, exposing a row of silvery teeth. All of this taken together was slightly alarming in person—and none helped by his true job as chief disposer of evidence for the Syndicate—particularly for the crime boss Gamma.

He stopped at the end of a row, his mismatched eyes (one was tin gray and could close and react with his emotions, the other one solid black and round like a wheel) scanning the junk piles, and falling upon Oil Man, who was perched upon a stack of sedans.

"Watch where you drip! You don't treat a junk yard like your own personal oil slick! I can't have any fires here," he growled up at Oil Man.

"Sorry Junk Man, I can't help it," mewled Oil Man, wiping a fist over his forehead. His entire rubbery body was coated in a black prismatic substance, like a gloopy monster made of ink. He poured down to the ground next to Slash Man, who was rocking nervously from one taloned foot to the other, his claws making soft rasping noises as he fidgeted restlessly.

"That goes for you too," Junk Man growled at Burner Man who was looking up at a mountain of tires with a bored expression.

"Take it easy, I'm being careful!" retorted Burner Man turning toward him. He splayed his hands, each finger like a blowtorch nozzle. "See? No flames!"

"Ah…here come some of Centum's bots now," said Junk Man. It was the middle of the night, and the moonlight had just fall upon four figures as Pharaoh Man, Shade Man, Blade Man, and Yamato Man rounded a heap of old laundry machines. "So…you wanted to talk to us?"

"Yes," said Pharaoh Man, surveying the other Robot Masters with the dignity of a lion. "We're looking for Ballade…Centum has some questions about what really happened at the National Ballet…yet we can't find him. Since you take orders from Gamma, I thought you could help us."

"Tell Centum to take it up with Gamma!" Junk Man spat in annoyance, as though he couldn't think of a bigger waste of time. "What's the big deal about the ballet thing anyway? I heard it got screwed up, but then it all got taken care of. We kept outta it, so why bring it up now?"

"It matters if Ballade was acting on Gamma's orders or acting rogue with his wanton disregard for human life," explained Shade Man.

Burner Man shifted very uncomfortably. Yamato Man noticed this, his eyes lingering upon him.

"You know our bosses have different views on that," said Junk Man, scratching off a patch of rust from his elbow with a thick bolt-like finger. "Which is worse?"

Shade Man bowed his head. "They both have unpleasant consequences, I'm afraid. But we are hoping there's been a mistake, as we, like you, would hate if our bosses got into a disagreement. If you could help us find Ballade, it would help us clear up this whole matter swiftly."

"Well, none of us are hiding him if that's what you're implying," Junk Man said pointedly. "And I haven't heard of any orders from Gamma to mess with Centum either! The ballet thing wasn't profitable for anyone. I get maybe bumping off that guy was personal for Centum, but why would we care about that? That's his business…so long as he doesn't get us all in trouble with the law."

A wrinkle had appeared in Oil Man's brow, his seam-like mouth parting. Slash Man's eyes were darting wildly around at the other Robot Masters like a feral animal. They watched the proceedings nervously from behind Junk Man, sensing an escalation in tone. Yamato Man pitied them, they were childlike in a way, and he imagined this was what Clown Man would turn into if anyone ever let him join the Syndicate.

Burner Man, meanwhile, was pretending to be interested in the shell of a sports car that was sticking upside-down out of one of the scrap piles.

Junk Man glanced over his shoulder at Oil Man and Slash Man, then back at Pharaoh Man. "Hey Pharaoh Man, we're still cool otherwise, right?" he asked, some of the edge leaving his voice. "I meant no offense to Centum. He's gotten some of our bots out of some tight spots. If I knew something, I'd tell ya, I swear."

"Yes, we're cool," said Pharaoh Man.

They talked of a little while longer on Syndicate business. Yamato Man said nothing. He rarely talked to any robot Centum didn't build, but his eyes were upon Burner Man, who was withdrawing steadily further into the junkyard the longer Centum's Robot Masters remained.

Finally, they parted, Pharaoh Man, Shade Man, Blade Man, and Yamato Man leaving as a group.

"Do you think Gamma ordered Ballade to sabotage Centum's plan at the ballet?" asked Blade Man quietly as they exited the junkyard through a line of trees.

"No," responded Pharaoh Man shortly. "Gamma's just a dumb gangster. He only got as powerful as he is because of robots he didn't build. It wouldn't occur to him to pull a stunt like that unless there was an obvious angle."

"What about Six?"

"More likely given her temperament, but her devil series is neither subtle nor stable—the Purple Devil is practically a tourist attraction, and the Grey Devil couldn't resist issuing threats when the bad-bots were holed up on the moonbase. If it had been her, we would know."

"So he did act rogue."

"Perhaps…but I don't understand _why._ He had to know getting in the way of Centum and the man Centum wants to kill would make him _very angry,_ and neither of the other two bosses will support that kind of disobedience."

"I think Burner Man knows something," murmured Yamato Man in Japanese as they crossed through a knee-high thicket.

"I'll say, they'll never put _him_ in charge of a casino with a poker face like that," muttered Shade Man haughtily, his folded wings shifting irritably.

"He likes Centum, I think it'd be easy to get him alone…perhaps reprogram him if it comes to that," put in Pharaoh Man.

"Reprogram him? That's harsh, don't you think?" asked Blade Man.

"There could be worse fates," said Shade Man, shrugging. "I mean, we could just _kill him,_ especially if he's aiding Ballade."

"Still…dead end for now. We'll ask Centum what he wants to do next," said Pharaoh Man.

"I wish we had more news for him. He's got a lot going on," murmured Yamato Man.

They all knew what Yamato Man was referring to.

"I want to feel bad for Top Man, and I really don't blame him for what happened—" began Blade Man as they entered a glade nearby where they had parked their transportation.

"No one does," said Shade Man, sniffing. "He was built like Elec Man, so no one expected him to shy away from his duty. If we _had_ known, one of us would have stepped in."

"—Right!" said Blade Man, encouraged. He was swinging his cutlass-like arms. "…But I also kinda want to slice him into tiny orange cubes? We were so close to capturing Proto Man! Would it have killed him to just walk away?"

"Knowing Elec Man, he might do that for us if ever hears what happened," Pharaoh Man said wryly. "After all, Top Man's interference cost him a ticket out of Skull Fortress."

* * *

Proto Man had learned two facts from his harrowing encounter from Centum and four of his Robot Masters: Firstly, Centum knew an alarming amount of his personal history before he had started working for Dr. Wily; secondly, Centum was not planning to exploit this knowledge or hurt the Lights.

Proto Man mulled this information over several times. It was a null and void situation: Centum wanted Proto Man to quit crime, but if he wasn't actually a threat to the Lights…then he truly had no leverage over Proto Man.

…Not that threatening the Lights would have had leverage over him anyway, Proto Man reminded himself. He was past all sentiments like that.

Dr. Wily was not pleased when Proto Man returned to Skull Fortress with a new personal record in damage.

"What happened?" he growled, his face a mask of fury as he loomed over Proto Man.

"…You should see the other bot!" said Proto Man, attempting to smile, but wincing instead. He was lying on a lab bench, a low hanging bay light shining in his face.

Dr. Wily picked up a wrench from his work table, wedged it into the open gash in Proto Man's shoulder, and twisted.

"Ow! Okay, okay!" Proto Man yelped hastily, edging away. "I was attacked by four Syndicate Robot Masters, I lost the black pearl, and I don't have your money. Happy?"

Dr. Wily sucked his breath in through his teeth. "You were foolish enough to fight the Syndicate when I have warned you not to?"

"Aw, c'mon...how's this my fault? I was just doing what you told me to and they jumped me. They wanted me to come back with them, I refused, and, well…"

"Taking over the world shouldn't be this complicated!" muttered Dr. Wily, kneading his forehead with his knuckles. "You are confined to Skull Fortress until further notice!"

"Psh, are you punishing me?" asked Proto Man, holding back a laugh.

Dr. Wily glared at Proto Man fiercely, then pushed a computer monitor that was on a swinging arm under Proto Man's nose.

"It will take time to finish your repairs!" Dr. Wily growled, tapping emphatically at the screen, which showed a diagnostic of Proto Man's systems. "I can fix the bite marks and the laser damage, no problem…but you have a nearly severed 'femur', and the structure in your blaster shoulder is completely mangled. I can make temporary spot repairs to restore basic mobility, but it will take weeks to make you new titanium supports."

Proto Man was glad he was already sitting down. " _Weeks?_ Are you serious…?"

"Consider yourself lucky I am repairing you at all!" Dr. Wily chided angrily, swatting Proto Man lightly on the head.

Elec Man also checked in on Proto Man shortly after his return to Dr. Wily's laboratory. Like Dr. Wily, he too prodded Proto Man's damaged shoulder and was inclined to be unsympathetic.

"Could have been much worse, you know," he said quietly.

"Could it?" asked Proto Man dryly, sitting up carefully. He expected Elec Man had come to gloat, yet Elec Man seemed to be struggling with attitudes of 'I told you so' and being exasperated.

Elec Man leaned backward against the edge of another workbench, his head bowed as he watched Proto Man, waiting patiently.

Proto Man took this to mean that Elec Man wanted an account of what had happened between Proto Man and the Syndicate (though Elec Man wouldn't admit it aloud out of pride).

"What did Centum have to say?" Elec Man asked after Proto Man told him about the fight.

"…Kinda the same stuff you've been saying, leave crime to real criminals, yadda yadda yadda—"

"Yet you never listen."

"…Would it bother you if I said you really do take after your creator?" retorted Proto Man, privately thinking how much it'd bother himself if anyone said the same thing about he and Dr. Light.

"My creator is a brilliant roboticist, so no. I also don't remember anything about him."

"Do you consider him a father?" Proto Man asked without thinking.

This seemed to catch Elec Man off guard. "No," he said a little too quickly, stiffening. "I'm a robot, not a human."

"I know, it'd be weird, right?" said Proto Man just as quickly. "Like, just because they created us doesn't mean they're our parent, right?"

Elec Man didn't reply, and there was an awkward pause. In the back of his mind, Proto Man had a distinct feeling they were uncomfortable for completely different reasons.

Elec Man straightened up, making a motion to leave.

"Wait…about what happened with the Syndicate," said Proto Man, stopping him. "The only reason I got out was because of Top Man."

"The ingratiating Robot Master with the smarmy smile and no weapon? Why do you keep bringing him up?"

"I have something to show you."

With his good arm, Proto Man reached toward the duplitron and printed off a card from one of its saved files.

"This is one of the fake photo I.D.s Top Man uses when he's impersonating a human."

Looking skeptical, Elec Man took the card, and looked down at it. Then he gave a small intake of breath. It must have been like looking at a distorted picture of oneself: Elec Man and Top Man shared the same facial similarities of two robots built from the same plans.

"He's Syndicate!"

"No, ex-Syndicate, just like you," said Proto Man softly.

Elec Man's face was tight and nearly inscrutable. He handed the I.D. back to Proto Man. "I don't understand."

"Well, I'll fill you in on what I know…"

He told Elec Man about how Top Man had impersonated a human ballet dancer while under orders to kill a man he didn't know for Centum. When Top Man didn't want to go through with it, another robot stepped in and botched up the mission so badly that not only had the target gotten away, but several humans had been presumed dead (though in reality, had only faked their death), and Top Man had fled both Syndicate and police alike to find asylum with Dr. Wily.

The only part he left out was that Top Man was an advanced-android. Proto Man couldn't tell Elec Man this, because Elec Man would then tell Dr. Wily that the protocol-disruptor hadn't worked on Top Man (Dr. Wily had figured out on his own that Top Man was Syndicate based on his similarity to Elec Man's design—but since Top Man knew nothing of interest about the Syndicate and was presumed to be completely under Dr. Wily's control, Dr. Wily did not care much about this fact).

It was difficult getting this all out, because at each word Elec Man's eyes were growing colder and colder, and he said nothing nor asked any questions.

When Proto Man could bear his stony silence no longer, he finally said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Top Man earlier. I was kinda hoping you'd warm up to him a bit first—"

"Does he know about me?" Elec Man interrupted.

"No…he's terrified of the Syndicate, and I didn't want to scare him off. I thought _you_ might want to tell him about yourself and help him work through some stuff. You have a knack at putting a level-headed perspective on things."

"Actually, I'd rather keep things as they are and not tell him anything."

While Proto Man had half expected this to be Elec Man's attitude, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed by it. "May I ask why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Why not? I have a kid brother too."

Elec Man drew himself to his full height, his eyes flashing. "Top Man is _not_ my brother."

Then Elec Man hurried away, as though afraid Proto Man would call him back and force him to talk more about this. But Proto Man had no intention of making Elec Man stay, he knew Elec Man had a lot to process. Having a brother who was a traitor to your family—well, it must be what Mega Man and Roll thought about Proto Man. Still, you couldn't change your family. Perhaps Elec Man, being older than Top Man, would come around after some time.

Meanwhile, despite what Top Man had said about getting over what had happened at the National Ballet, his thoughts were obviously lingering on the other Robot Masters Centum had built. He kept asking Proto Man if he thought any of them were like him and might have second thoughts about working for the Syndicate. Proto Man thought this extremely unlikely. From what he had seen of Centum's Robot Masters, they loyally followed him with something above programmed obedience protocols. Even Elec Man, with scrambled memory chips, appeared to have a bond with him that was beyond 'boss' or even 'creator.'

* * *

Dr. Cossack and Dr. Light had first met at Dr. Light's science fair in San Fransisco (a day before Cold Steel's first concert in Golden Gate park).

Somewhat timid and reserved, Dr. Cossack introduced himself as the founder of Citadel Research and Innovative Technology, a company Dr. Light was well familiar with for its scientific breakthroughs. Like many of the other prospective clients at the science fair, Dr. Cossack congratulated Dr. Light on Mega Man and thanked him for his service against Dr. Wily, and was curious if he was taking new contracts. They were soon engrossed in deep conversation, and agreed to meet the following day for lunch.

Dr. Cossack picked the restaurant, confiding that he always avoided the public eye and would only eat at restaurants that he owned. Dr. Light was used to these kinds of shows of money from rich CEOs who knew nothing about science but were looking to commission something big and impressive. Still, Dr. Light would only take the contract if it were something that he felt would be good for the progression of science and mankind.

They were seated in a private booth where they could talk about business without being overheard. Dr. Light ordered tortellini soup, Dr. Cossack a kale salad.

As they waited for their food, Dr. Cossack noticed an electronic pen sticking out of the front pocket of Dr. Light's vest. It had been one of the favors handed out by vendors at the science fair and could record notes and act as a flashlight. His face lit up. "What an interesting device! May I…?"

Dr. Light handed over the pen. Producing a small toolkit from his lab coat pocket, Dr. Cossack deconstructed the pen, laying all of its components into a neat row as Dr. Light watched in amazement. Dr. Cossack pondered it for a moment as though it were pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, then just as fast reassembled it into an elegant multitool with an array of new functions. It appeared Dr. Cossack had intended to impress Dr. Light during this meeting, but not with money.

"Oh, bravo!" said Dr. Light.

Smiling shyly, Dr. Cossack pushed the multitool across the linen table cloth toward Dr. Light. "Your turn."

Dr. Light chuckled. "I'm not as fast as you."

"Give it a try, see if you can make it better."

They spent the next hour passing the small electronic back and forth, tweaking and refining until finally a tiny hovering note-taker drone emerged, graceful as a butterfly and as gentle as a bumblebee.

Dr. Cossack smiled softly at the drone floated in loose arcs around the table's water jug before settling down onto the lapel of his lab coat.

"You are an impressive inventor," Dr. Light commented.

"Likewise."

"Are you a roboticist too, Mikhail?"

"Uh, no. I build a trinket here and there, toys for my daughter when she was young and such, but I mostly stick to the production of alloys now."

Dr. Light shook his head. "I'm sorry, but….the way you talk about robots, the care and attention you show in your work, you must be a roboticist."

Dr. Cossack's smile waned. His attention was focused on lining up his silverware into perfect parallels. "I've read all of your papers on robotics, back when I was learning English," he admitted in a small voice, his eyes hard and guarded. It seemed to cost him some pride to admit this. For a moment, sitting across the table from Dr. Light was not the wealthy and respected scientist who had become head of a large company, but the young, struggling inventor who had come before this. It was then that Dr. Light realized that Dr. Cossack hadn't come to him as a client, but as a _student._

Then, with even more reluctance as though dredging up something from deep in the past, Dr. Cossack divulged that he had built Duo and Ra Thor—but even then, he seemed hesitant to take full credit for this accomplishment. It appeared he had given up making robots for personal reasons, but it was clear his resolve was cracking. Dr. Light had been correct, Dr. Cossack was quite clearly was a roboticist above everything else.

"You built Duo and Ra Thor?" Dr. Light repeated, astonished. "They've been in operation since the eighties…you must have been young!"

Dr. Cossack smiled. "Twenty-one."

"I studied Duo when designing my first androids. The face you gave him—simply incredible," said Dr. Light. "Looks like we have both been admiring each other's works from afar."

It was then and there that they decided to collaborate on a project—a top secret project, a combined effort in their skill in robotics.

Conversation turned to hobbies as they finished lunch. Dr. Cossack had also studied fine arts, and had a passion for classical music equal to Dr. Light (though Dr. Cossack preferred modernists like Debussy and Stravinsky). On their way out from the restaurant, they had gotten caught up in a debate over which of Beethoven's work was the best.

" _Für Elise_? But it's so boring, Tom!" Dr. Cossack laughed as they put on their lab coats.

"I have a special place in my heart for it," Dr. Light persisted, unabashed.

"But what about this one…?"

To Dr. Light's continued amazement, Dr. Cossack plunked down at the bench of the restaurant's grand piano and launched into a fiery rendition of the third movement of Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_ , pounding the keyboard as though on the attack. The impromptu performance started out impressive, but after a few bars Dr. Cossack's fingers seemed to get tangled during the relentless arpeggios and trills and the tune dissolved into discord (The _maître d'_ shot him an reproving look with pursed lips).

"Sorry, I haven't played in awhile. I am getting rusty," he said scratching his head with a small rueful smile. "The thing about piano is you must practice diligently, and I have no time."

Dr. Light laughed. "Yes, and that movement is ambitious even for someone who has been practicing."

"That is my style, I'm afraid. Do you play music?"

Dr. Light shook his head. "I only listen."

Since Dr. Cossack was too busy to leave California and Dr. Light didn't want to leave New York City, they worked out a remote arrangement to collaborate on their project, conferencing on the phone and passing ideas back forth, just as they had during lunch.

Dr. Cossack's designs were like works of art (which he largely credited to having had a painter for a father and a sculptor for a mother), and he was so quick at building, reinventing, and innovating it was as though ideas sprang from his head fully formed. He also designed many of the metals he used in construction. Dr. Light knew he could never match these talents, but what Dr. Cossack had sought consultation on was programming. Though Dr. Cossack's skill in programming was almost as impressive as his construction, he felt inferior to Dr. Light, who Dr. Cossack considered best in the field.

Thus, each excelling in their respective areas, the project took off. Though they argued quite passionately about certain features, they both agreed this project had become more than either of them could have accomplished alone.

At first, it had seemed like they had a ton in common. Aside from from being roboticists who liked classical music, both were single parents and poured much of their fortunes back into science or other philanthropic pursuits. But they had very different upbringings and personal lives, and Dr. Cossack was twenty years younger than Dr. Light and running a large and successful company. Dr. Cossack was a perfectionist, formal yet quite blunt, and most of all, aloof. Even after months of collaboration, he remained somewhat guarded and distant from Dr. Light. But his employees loved him at Citadel, and this counted more to Dr. Light than his other quirks.

Dr. Cossack had also been the first to call Dr. Light after the robosaurs had rampaged through New York City.

"I wish you had mentioned you were taking a contract from Otto 'Raptor' Smuldoon. I could have warned you he was a mad scientist," Dr. Cossack had said. He sounded like he was trying hard not to be exasperated. "You are so trusting!"

"And you can be overly suspicious," answered Dr. Light evenly.

"It pays to research who you work with, you have a family you know," said Dr. Cossack simply, but he was mollified.

Then came the setbacks. Though Dr. Cossack was an incurable workaholic, lack of time and pressure from his company seemed to weigh heavily on him. Progress on the project became delayed as Dr. Cossack frequently canceled or rescheduled meetings with short notice for family matters. Oddly, the more they worked together, the more withdrawn and reclusive Dr. Cossack became, almost as though, despite the secrecy of their work, Dr. Cossack wasn't completely comfortable working with Dr. Light.

"Have I done something wrong?" Dr. Light asked at the end of one particularly cool phone conference, wondering if Dr. Cossack was on the verge of leaving the project.

"No, I just have a lot on my mind," Dr. Cossack responded wearily.

But Dr. Cossack had become too attached to their project and could no more abandon it then he could a baby in the forest, even under Dr. Light's care. It was difficult to discern his mind. Dr. Cossack was sometimes credited in science circles as 'holding the secrets of the universe' (something Dr. Cossack brushed off as nonsensical flattery), yet he did seem to have many secrets, however, for there were three topics he never discussed: his life before coming to America, his work at R.I.P., and, most of all, his family.

* * *

Inspector Headley was staring at Dr. Umlauf, his face agog and his pencil mustache drooping.

"What do you mean Mikhail _called_ you?"

"Yes, just out of ze damn blue as if it was no big deal and hadn't been years," responded Dr. Umlauf.

They were sitting in Inspector Headley's office at the Robot International Police's headquarters. The office was filled with a collection of model cars and old-fashioned airplanes (Inspector Headley collected vintage die-cast toys and similar novelties, which he had scattered around R.I.P. headquarters as an idea for reducing stress among staff) Each had a large mug of tea, though Inspector Headley was downing his as though he had just run a marathon.

"That bastard," seethed Inspector Headley, deeply wounded. "I don't get it. He should have at least called _me_ , after all, he named Hamish and I as Kalinka's godfathers!"

"We were all pissed in a Glasgow pub when he did zat," said Dr. Umlauf in a dry tone, sipping from his mug. "And it's not like he has any other family or friends."

"We may have been pissed, but we meant our word!" Inspector Headley said, offended.

"She's turning eighteen this year," Dr. Umlauf reminded him. "And is a spoiled American socialite."

"She's not so bad," Inspector Headley said loyally. "My girls are obsessed with her. They both wanted black designer daisy hats for Christmas just like hers, cost a fortune—those Cossacks never cut anyone a break…"

"Mikhail sold out to America," put in Dr. Umlauf. "Have you looked up what he's worth? He's never coming back. Perhaps I should have done zat."

"It's a shame he gave up robotics, though. So what did he want, anyway?"

"You remember that giant black pearl Mega Man found in the Pacific Ocean, the one Wily's robots stole? It had been anonymously returned to the American police, and they are planning to return it to the Spanish government in secret. However, Mikhail insisted that Duo needed to be added as extra security during the exchange."

"Yes, I heard about that," said Inspector Headley, frowning. "Should be fairly routine…can't think why Mikhail would bother to call about it."

"Seemed to zink it important," said Dr. Umlauf, shrugging. He leaned forward, looking at Headley over his wayfarer glasses. "About Duo and Ra Thor…" he said softly. "Mikhail also seemed to confirm somezing I've been wondering about zem ever since I've taken over zeir repair work, specifically zat zeir designs appear to be 'alien…' What do you zink?"

"Not you too," grumbled Inspector Headley. "Duo flat out denies anything other than he was built by Mikhail, but Ra Thor has been dropping hints that there may be more to it. But I don't care where they're from, they're bloody brilliant," he said firmly. He then began rummaging through the refreshment trolly next to his desk. "Is there any scotch?"

"No hard alcohol on the job. Your rule," said Dr. Umlauf, shrugging.

"Damn. Right then," said Inspector Headley, straightening and sighing. He ran a hand through his black, slicked back hair. "I still need a lead roboticist to replace Mikhail, you know. Especially if you won't commit to full time."

"I don't think anyone will take that job after Mikhail Cossack," admitted Dr. Umlauf. "He actually _liked_ doing it. Though you could try to convince Professor Frederick Henson to move back to London, though he only specializes in domestic robots. What about Randeep? He has a doctorate in robotics too, and has created as many models for R.I.P. as I have."

Inspector Headley leaned back in his winged leather chair and sighed again, drumming his hands on the hand carved armrests. "I've been trying Randeep for years. He's almost as stubborn as you, completely obsessed with old rocks and ghost stories. It would take something big to persuade him to join R.I.P.'s robotics team."

* * *

Dr. Randeep Singh Ramu was hard at work in the middle of what remained of a city long lost to time and human memory.

The ruins had appeared suddenly several weeks ago, unearthed by a small earthquake in a section of the Amazon that had been uninhabited for thousands of years. Accessible only by rope lifts and tunnels that winded through the rock cliffside, the cavern housing the ruins was like an outdoor sports arena, except much, much deeper.

All that remained of the city were crumbling brick walls and pillars of clay (overgrown with tall trees that stretched toward the oculus of light in the cavern's roof) and many artifacts scattered throughout like treasures waiting to be uncovered. As an expert in archeology and ancient theology, Dr. Ramu had eagerly volunteered to lead the excavation effort with his students. It was by far the most exciting archeological dig his students had ever been on (even better than finding dinosaur fossils) and they were all chatting enthusiastically to one another and calling out excitedly at each new discovery.

"No records of animal life around the ruins," said Amara Jepkorir, who was studying to become a biologist. "Yet there's plant life…what could possibly sustain this ecosystem?"

"Those outer walls kinda look like a ramparts," commented Elias Olsson. "I wonder who they were fighting against?"

"Yet, at the same time, it almost seems like a place of worship," said Yu-jin Kah thoughtfully.

Though not expecting the ruins to be dangerous, Dr. Ramu had requested for Officer Flame Man and Officer Gravity Man of R.I.P. to accompany him during the month long excavation, which was granted without question. Of course, Dr. Ramu knew why it was so easy to call in a favor such as this. Inspector Headley was trying to butter him up, nudge him toward working at R.I.P. full time with the Robot Masters he had built. But Inspector Headley didn't understand that Dr. Ramu's work here was more important than even fighting global robo-crime. How could he? Inspector Headley's world revolved around the modern day, he never studied the past.

But Dr. Ramu had dedicated his life to studying ancient civilizations that had at one point become sophisticated until a new order, like a cult, took over—first proclaiming a divine being had promised them wealth, power, security—then falling into corruption and finally destroying itself. Dr. Ramu had observed this cautionary tale in many ruins. They all seemed somehow… _connected_ , the pattern repeating itself over and over again throughout history.

He had been called into the center of the city by his students, who were carefully dusting off a large stone tablet the size of a wall and covered with primitive drawings of humans and what looked like a deity. It was one of the most complete artifacts that they had unearthed yet.

Dr. Ramu inspected the tablet with a professional eye while his students gathered around in an excited cluster. "The drawings tell the story of Lotos, an evil spirt who was trapped in a golden chest," he explained, cross-examining his notes. "One day, the chest was found by a peasant. Lotos promised to give the peasant great wealth if he released him. Lotos was true to his word, and the peasant became a powerful monarch—but Lotos turned out to be such a dangerous ally that the peasant tricked him back into the chest where he remains today."

"Cool, but you don't really believe all that stuff, do you?" asked Gravity Man wryly.

A few students laughed at this statement, but the laughter quickly died away as Dr. Ramu smiled and cleared his throat.

"The ancients were said to have knowledge of powers lost to modern civilization, power that in the wrong hands could be extremely dangerous," he replied, looking back at the tablet, which depicted a large being with a single eye. It fit the pattern.

From the window of a fractured tower above them, a battonton fluttered unseen, its eyes fixed upon the tablet.

* * *

"He's found it, Proto! The ancient tablets that reveal the legend of Lotos," Dr. Wily said impressively. They were seated in Dr. Wily laboratory watching the battonton's feed on the main screen computer. Dr. Wily had finished Proto Man's interim repairs: he could walk on his right leg without a noticeable limp, and he could move his blaster arm without significant pain, so long as he didn't raise it too high or move it too fast—though Dr. Wily warned him not to push it.

"Who cares about a stone fairy tale?" responded Proto Man, privately thinking Dr. Wily was the only one outside the archeological community that could possibly care about this.

"It's no fairy tale! The tablets will lead me to the golden chest of Lotos, and in it, more power than you or I have ever dreamed of! I have been using my spy bat to sample radiation from the ruins. The readings there are incredible, so much more so than that puny island with the red statues."

"Uh…the mission with the stone-bots didn't go so well," Proto Man reminded him. "Should we maybe just leave this one alone? Besides, you were mad at me for accidentally getting in trouble with the Syndicate…isn't going into those ruins risking R.I.P. getting involved?"

"It is the Amazon, not _so_ far away from the American border, and I shall take Cut Man, Guts Man, and Drill Man."

Proto Man whirled his chair to face Dr. Wily. "Wait, what about me?"

"You are in no condition!" said Dr. Wily sternly as he stood up. "Stay here out of trouble. I shall be back before you know it, and with it, my new secret weapon!"

* * *

One of the students came pelting out of a tent that housed the dig site's computer equipment. "Professor Ramu! Professor Ramu!"

"What is it, Matias?" asked Dr. Ramu.

"An alarm is going off. I can't be sure, but something's coming this way!"

All around the ruins, Dr. Ramu's students were poking their heads up like gophers, their dust-covered faces looking curious and concerned.

"No reason to panic yet…we'll take a look," said Flame Man reassuringly, pulling back a canvas flap as he, Dr. Ramu, and Gravity Man entered the tent. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at the dig site's security surveillance system. "Wait…there is an intruder alert. …Dr. Wily?"

"But why is he here here? It's just old ruins," said Gravity Man, dumbfounded. "It'll all be in the _Archeology Today_ newsletter in a few months, I'd reckon."

"I didn't expect this either," said Flame Man, sitting down at the computer and tabbing through the security feed. "Shit. We're outnumbered too by the looks of it. No matter, we'll call Inspector Headley. He'll send backup."

They both raised their communicators to their mouths, calling R.I.P. headquarters, but their communicators only hissed in static.

"Something is interfering with our communicators. I can't call for help," said Gravity Man, growing anxious.

Dr. Ramu took Gravity Man's communicator in his hands, opening a panel to inspect it thoroughly. "Bloody hell," he groaned. "There must be some sort of radiation interference down here."

More students were looking up from their work to stare at the tent, obviously noticing something was wrong.

"They'll be here any minute," Flame Man whispered somberly.

Gravity Man nodded. "You must get Dr. Ramu and the students to safety. I'll hold them off with _Gravity Hold_ as long as I can."

"But Wily will capture and reprogram you again," protested Flame Man.

"I know."

"I should be the one who stays behind—"

"No, it has to be me. You are older and cleverer, and I could never defeat you in battle. Go now, while there is still time."

Dr. Ramu squeezed Gravity Man's shoulder. "We'll get help. You won't be in Dr. Wily's service for long. _"_

With one last fleeting glance at Gravity Man, Dr. Ramu and Flame Man began ushering the frightened students away from the ruins as a group. Gravity Man turned his back on them, closing his eyes so he couldn't know in which direction then ran, and prepared himself to face Dr. Wily.

* * *

It had been quiet at Dr. Light's laboratory. Other than a few trips to the ski hills, Mega Man and Roll remained at home, catching up on video games, hanging out in Roll's workshop (when Mega Man could persuade Roll to turn the metal music down), and reading books or magazines next to the fire as the snow drifted down outside.

Dr. Light was still busy working on his secret project, though he made time to visit in the evenings. Though he still wouldn't talk about the project, he seemed cheerful, which they both took to mean it was going well.

It was one such morning that the Emergency Satellite Scanner finally detected something. Dr. Light was working the side laboratory, Mega Man was giving Rush a bath, and Roll had been curled up on the couch in her pajamas watching a vulgar comedy Mega Man didn't approve of when they heard the familiar beeping sound and rushed to the main laboratory.

"Galaxy Man must have found something!" murmured Mega Man, accepting the call from the control console.

"Wily?" asked Roll.

"Yes. It looks like he's in…the Amazon?" said Mega Man, pulling up the coordinates on the Emergency Satellite Scanner's overhead screen.

"Hmm, yes, I was reading about this," said Dr. Light, looking up at the map. "It's the site of a recently discovered city whose ruins are being excavated."

"Ruins, huh?" said Mega Man, puzzled. "What could he want with ancient ruins?"

"Wily must think there is something valuable for him to grab," reasoned Roll. "We know he's desperate enough for funds to recruit toys to steal a giant black pearl, after all."

Mega Man sighed. "Then I bet he won't be there long. We better stop him quick before he runs away with any artifacts."

"We'll take the air raider," said Dr. Light, grabbing both a coat and some bug repellent from the closet.

Roll turned toward Met, who was looking up at them from the floor. "Hey Met, would you mind coming too? We don't know whats going to be down there, and we might need some more utility."

Met beeped and gave a small nod.

* * *

Proto Man sat alone in Dr. Wily's laboratory, silently fuming. He had _never_ been left behind during a mission. Exploring long lost ruins could be fun, and Mega Man might be there.

He fingered his damaged shoulder gingerly. Dr. Wily was right, he was in no condition to fight, he couldn't even form a plasma cannon properly. A fine predicament that would be if messing around with this new mission caused him to wind up back in Dr. Light's laboratory.

…But Dr. Wily didn't _really_ just expect him to sit around, right?

An idea formed in Proto Man's head. Since they had lost the pearl, Dr. Wily was still short on cash, but there were ways to remedy that.

He might normally do this sort of thing with Elec Man, but as Elec Man was still avoiding him, Proto Man began searching the laboratory alone. Dr. Wily was constantly collecting newspapers and magazine articles in pursuit of chronicles of his villainy and wrongdoings. Proto Man rummaged through this archive until he found a list of America's most successful people of 1995. Running his finger down the list of names, Proto Man stopped at one that looked promising.

"Ah, back to L.A.," he mused aloud, smirking. No Syndicate there, so it was _perfect._

* * *

Dr. Cossack was sitting at the drafting table of his circular office. The wide full-length window that overlooked the ocean was open like a balcony, letting in the brisk air of an early February morning in Los Angeles. He wore wool gloves, a half empty decanter of whiskey beside him, deep in thought as he stared at the horizon. Behind him, locked in a hidden safe, lay the giant black pearl. To ensure Kalinka's safety, Dr. Cossack had asked her to stay with one of her friends (and remain heavily guarded by the California State Police) while the pearl remained under his custody. Currently, he was distinctly disheveled, shadows under his eyes as though he weren't sleeping enough and had been up all night.

"Hey, you're younger than I expected."

At the sound of the voice, Dr. Cossack had drawn a gun from a holster on his back and fired three shots directly at where the speaker's human heart would have been.

The bullets bounced off Proto Man's gray titanium skin like rubber darts. He plucked the gun from Dr. Cossack's hand and crushed it like a cardboard tube.

"Whoa…you're a good shot for a human who's been drinking, though what is up with the good guys shooting me point blank with guns? Cool office, by the way," remarked Proto Man, his visored face sweeping the circular office with the projected night sky on its domed ceiling and the charcoal drawings pinned to the walls.

Completely unarmed and a few whiskies in, Dr. Cossack settled back in his chair, watching Proto Man coldly. "You have some nerve…do you know who I am?"

"Uh…you're the rich dude I'm going to kidnap for a huge ransom? Guessing you think you're some big shot by your tone of voice."

Dr. Cossack gave him a baleful look through half rim glasses as if this was some kind of joke.

"No, seriously, I'm taking you hostage," said Proto Man, turning away from the office to step closer.

Dr. Cossack didn't budge. "We've met."

"Uh, sorry, don't think so. I'd remember. No offense, but you have a really thick Russian accent."

"So I've been told."

Dr. Cossack was still looking at Proto Man as though he had committed an egregious personal injury.

"…Have I stolen something from you?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Sorry, I've stolen so many things it's hard to keep track."

"I'm aware."

"Citadel, Citadel…oh yeah, you mean those floating purple sparks back in Sacramento? Those weren't stolen, they just kinda…disappeared. Mega Man's fault, really."

"They were called chronitons, and you're lucky one did not touch you, they're extremely unpredictable."

"Yeah, well, kinda doubt it will come up again. Anyway, seems my reputation precedes me," Proto Man said with a little bow (he regretted this motion, as it made his shoulder twinge painfully). "So, if you really know all about me, then you probably also know its pointless to resist."

"Oh no, I'm being kidnapped by a scary criminal robot."

"…Are you _sassing me_?" Proto Man asked, astonished and amused.

"How on _earth_ did you break in here?"

"Actually, it was really easy. You have no security system. This must happen to you like all the time."

Dr. Cossack frowned, and glanced over at his laptop. The balcony should have been protected by a shield that was not only intruder and blast proof, but rendered it invisible to outside eyes. But to his shock, he saw that all security systems (including back up protocols) were offline like simple electronics knocked out by a power surge. But he had built this systems to withstand even EMP-based attacks. He knew nothing with enough power to accomplish this—unless, if what he suspected about the pearl was true—

Dr. Cossack frantically typed a command to reboot all systems, but just as he hit 'send' a red titanium fist smashed the computer.

"Alright, time to go."

Shooting Proto Man a withering look, Dr. Cossack remained seated.

Proto Man had never encountered a human civilian who flat out refused to cooperate like this, and was wondering if he'd have to knock him unconscious when Dr. Cossack abruptly got up as though the whole thing was his idea.

"Yes, I want to see Skull Fortress. Why don't you take me there," he said belligerently.

" _Holy shit_ , you have a lot of attitude for a hostage, Cossack," Proto Man laughed. He watched as Dr. Cossack threw on a neatly pressed swan white lab coat that had been hanging next to his chair. "Are you a scientist, by the way?"

"No, I just wear a white lab coat everywhere to look cool," said Dr. Cossack. Then, as though he couldn't help himself, "And it's _Dr._ Cossack. I have a doctorate you know."

"Really? In what?" Proto Man asked curiously.

Dr. Cossack gave him a long look. "…Chemistry."

"Chemistry, huh? That's so interesting," Proto Man said with affected sincerity, his curiosity obviously disintegrating. "Alright, well, _Dr._ Cossack, _let's go._ "

Proto Man lead Dr. Cossack toward the emergency staircase he had presumably snuck up through.

The small communicator on Dr. Cossack's wrist began to vibrate silently. It was linked with both the Los Angeles and California State Police departments, but was often overlooked by kidnappers because it looked like (and had once been) a mass produced digital watch sold in drug stores. Dr. Cossack knew the signals that pulsed against his skin well.

_Security beech detected. Remain calm. Multiple units on the way._

Using the clock face like a dial, Dr. Cossack quickly twiddled a pre-programmed message back he had never used before while Proto Man's back was turned.

_All is well. Standby._

This was turning into a bizarre, backwards night. Dr. Cossack certainly hadn't drank enough to deal with it. He knew the police wouldn't actually let Proto Man take him out of the city, but Dr. Cossack needed to keep Proto Man away from the pearl at all costs while the security systems rebooted themselves.

And (so help him) Proto Man wouldn't be leaving Los Angeles either.

* * *

"Welcome back to my team, Gravity Man," Dr. Wily sneered. "We had missed you since we last met on the moon!"

"Yeah, yeah…yuck it up," Gravity Man muttered to himself. He had only lasted five minutes using _Gravity Hold_ to bounce Cut Man and Guts Man like rocks on a trampoline before Drill Man knocked him offline with a _Drill Bomb._

"It's too bad Flame Man did not stick around," said Dr. Wily, patting his Reprogramming Raygun affectionately before stuffing it back into his lab coat pocket. "He too could have been part of my team! Oh well, in time…"

He took in the expansive ruins and its tall underground trees with sickly yellow leaves, a radiation reader in hand, then began issuing orders.

Cut Man and Guts Man began ransacking the dig site's equipment tents, searching for anything useful. Drill Man picked up where the students had left off. His drill arms weren't suited for careful excavation work, but he was much faster at digging and soon uncovered more sections of the ruins. Gravity Man watched with sadness as some of the more delicate artifacts became crushed, but was powerless to do anything about it (he knew Drill Man couldn't help it either).

Finally, Dr. Wily pinpointed what they were looking for: a round building at the top of a half-story's worth of wrap around stairs, like a temple. It had no doors, so Drill Man fired a _Drill Bomb_ in its side, collapsing one wall.

After the dust settled, they entered. Despite the hot humidity of the rainforest, it seemed cool inside the temple, and quiet, even the sound of the Robot Masters' metal boots seemed distant as though coming from somewhere far away. In the center of the room on a black stone dais lay a circular well, about three feet in diameter—an identical structure was fixed to the ceiling directly above it.

Gravity Man stared at the temple in amazement. "Now where did this come from…?"

Dr. Wily gazed down the lower of the two wells. It appeared completely dry, and so deep that it was like looking into the nothingness of space.

"The radiation is really strong here!" he said excitedly.

He motioned to Cut Man, who dropped a grappling hook into the well as he were ice fishing. The rope fell for a long distance, uncoiling rapidly, until— _thunk._ It had hit something.

"Pull it up!" ordered Dr. Wily eagerly.

* * *

The air raider lowered through the rainforest canopy, landing in the middle of a muddy glade next to a round opening in a cliffside.

"This is the coordinates of the dig site," said Dr. Light as they filed out, Roll carrying Met over the mud.

They entered the tunnel, Rush leading the way with his nose lit like a flashlight. The walls were made of aged brick, smooth and cool to the touch.

"No sign of the Bad-bots so far," murmured Mega Man in a low voice that wouldn't carry down the tunnel. "Nor the dig site crew."

"How strange," said Dr. Light. He was holding a remote-sized device with a small wand attached to its front. "The emergency satellite scanner reported nothing unusual about these coordinates, yet my handheld scanner is showing some very peculiar energy readings."

"Anything we should be worried about?" asked Mega Man, ducking low as they passed through an uneven section of the tunnel.

"Not for the present," Dr. Light said slowly, still frowning at his scanner. "Still, it may be worth further analysis."

"Sounds like a good weekend project for us sometime," said Mega Man cheerfully. "Want in too, Roll?"

Roll snickered. "Waste an entire weekend deciphering strings of data on a computer? No thanks. You're the science geek, Mega, not me. I'd rather spend my time in my workshop upgrading my utility arm to fight Dr. Wily."

Mega Man smiled. "Well, you know I've always wished I was a lab assistant instead of a hero."

"I know, and I wish we'd hurry up and find Wily," quipped Roll, punching her palm.

_Crack._

The floor suddenly gave way like a sheet of ice breaking up over a river. They tumbled down a stone shoot that twisted like a steep curly slide, landing in a heap several floors below on a granite threshold. Ahead of them lay a short tunnel that opened into the main cavern.

Rush got to his feet first, shaking dust off his armor. Wincing, Roll and Mega Man stood up and gathered worriedly around Dr. Light who remained on the ground, rubbing his ankle.

"I'm alright—just a sprain," he gasped, his face ashen.

Met scuttled to Dr. Light's side, her hardhat flipping open as a first aid kit popped out. Her retractable arms began rummaging through it for aspirin and a cold compress.

"Stay here," Mega Man told them. "The ruins are just up ahead. Looks like we are just in time!"

Mega Man, Roll, and Rush crept through the tunnel into the cavern cautiously. There was still no trace of the dig site crew, but in the ruins of a nearby temple stood Dr. Wily, Cut Man, Guts Man, Drill Man, and (to their dismay) a reprogrammed Gravity Man. They were all looking down at a wooden chest about the size of a shoebox in Dr. Wily's hands. It was intricately carved with symbols and shapes like those around the ruins, and gilded with gold. On top of the lid was a single eye made of smooth white stone.

Dr. Wily looked on the verge of dancing. "The golden chest! The power of Lotos! It's mine, all mine!"

"Drop it, Wily!" shouted Mega Man as he and Roll darted toward the foot of the temple stairs.

The Robot Masters whirled to face Mega Man, both Cut Man and Drill Man raising their blaster arms—but before anyone had fired, the chest began rattling like an egg about to hatch. With a violent lurch, it leaped from Dr. Wily's hands and hit the dusty ground with a jarring bump.

The lid opened a crack, an eye the size of a football peering out at them. Then, like a plume of smoke rising from a chimney, a creature unfurled itself while they all watched, entranced.

The figure was a deep blue like a starless sky at midnight. He looked human from the waist up with a shaved head and a torso rippling with muscle, the rest of him tapered into a long tail. Hovering several feet above the ground, he loomed over them, his thick arms folded solemnly as he peered at them through one giant eye like the ghost of a cyclops.

"What is that thing?" Mega Man whispered to Roll, not taking his eyes off the being.

Roll shrugged. "Looks kinda like something from a corny cartoon."

The creature revolved around to face them. "Really? Sweet. I love corny cartoons, that's totally what I was going for. After all, you cannot grasp my true form. I am… ** _Lotos_ _—_ "** he boomed, his voice suddenly dropping to a low rumble that rang off the stone ruins impressively, **"—Being of** ** _PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!_ "**

"Uh…what?" said Roll, squinting up at Lotos.

Lotos ignored her, rotating to face Dr. Wily again, and bowing his head. **"You have released me. In return, I serve you."**

Whatever Dr. Wily had expected to come out of the chest, it was not this. He backed away across the temple's dais. Gravity Man gaped, Drill Man scratched his head with the end of a drill arm, and Cut Man and Guts Man were exchanging glances.

" _You're_ Lotos?" Dr. Wily stammered, his eyes scanning Lotos's form rapidly. "And you're alive? But how can you serve me? You appear to be as substantial as smoke!"

Lotos tilted his head, his eye narrowing. "Hmm, let me put this in terms a human can understand…I'm magic and stuff."

"I am a scientist! I don't believe in magic!" growled Dr. Wily hotly.

Lotos smiled. "Alright, I'll make it even simpler: you make a wish, and I'll grant it! Watch."

He turned toward Mega Man, holding out his hands, which only had four fingers each and ended in claws. Mega Man wasn't sure what to expect; at the moment Lotos was a complete mystery.

"I have eyes and ears everywhere, you know. What was it that you were wishing earlier in my cave?" Lotos asked him. "That you were a lab assistant instead of a hero, right?"

This was a strange taunt. Mega Man raised his blaster toward Lotos's chest, prepared to fire should Lotos make any sudden movements.

Lotos's eye flashed, his hands glowing with purple flame. Mega Man felt a strange evaporating sensation on his skin, like emerging from an outdoor pool on a hot day. Then his armor _vanished_ into fine mist, leaving him in a plain blue t-shirt and shorts, his raised blaster arm now just a bare fist pointing at Lotos.

Shocked, Mega Man staggered backward, stumbling on a broken brick. He unconsciously ran a hand through his hair. "What the…?"

The Robot Masters stared at Mega Man completely dumbfounded. Gravity Man had let loose a small gasp. Rush sniffed Mega Man's white sneakers and barked up at him.

Dr. Wily took a few cautious steps forward, his radiation meter pointed at Mega Man, his eye glued to its readout. "Incredible!"

"There, now you're a lab assistant, just like you always wanted," declared Lotos with the casual air of someone who had done a small favor.

"What is this, some kind of trick?" demanded Roll, her brow furrowed as she too stared at Mega Man.

"It's no trick," Lotos said blithely.

"Yes, yes! That's perfect, Lotos, so delightfully ironic!" laughed Dr. Wily. "He'll never stop me like that!"

Roll still looked confused, but she rallied quickly. "Well, he doesn't need to, I'll stop you for him!" she shouted, charging up the worn stairs toward the temple.

Dr. Wily cast Lotos a shrewd look. "Better make it a pair—if he's back to being a lab assistant, then she should be a housekeeper robot!"

Lotos's eye flashed again. The fabric of Roll's form-fitting titanium jumpsuit slackened into a two piece utility smock with puffy sleeves.

Roll stopped short, gaping at her change in outfit. "Housekeeper?! You sexist pig! Take this!"

She aimed her utility arm at Lotos and fired. A mop flopped out of the end.

Roll blinked, disoriented. "Uh, that was supposed to be my toaster cannon."

Rush, sensing Mega Man and Roll were in trouble, growled at Lotos, flattening his ears as he prepared to make a last stand on their behalf.

Dr. Wily grinned wickedly down at him. "As for the troublesome canine support unit? I shall give him to Proto Man. Lotos?"

Once again, Lotos's eye flashed.

Rush immediately stopped growling, his ears pricked up. He bounded up to Dr. Wily as though he had been called by a dog whistle.

"Rush!" Mega Man called after him.

At the sound of his former master's voice, Rush stiffened. He looked back, his teeth bared like an angry attack dog looking at a complete stranger who had just broken into his home.

"Uh, easy boy…" Mega Man said hastily, backing away. He exchanged a perplexed look with Roll. The Robot Masters had yet to make a move; Cut Man and Guts Man were staring at Lotos completely awestruck.

"Fascinating!" Dr. Wily breathed, stroking his chin. "I still don't believe in magic, but I will admit you are definitely a being of incredible power—I've never seen such high radiation readings!"

"Heh, 'radiation'. You're hilarious," interjected Lotos.

"I must study you further. But first, destroy those meddling robots!"

**"** **Consider it done!"** boomed Lotos, his eye flashing, his palms glowing like purple brands. **"Behold the power of my magic!"**

At first, it wasn't clear what Lotos had done. Then echoing across the ruins came a commotion, something like an old house with thousands of floorboards creaking at once. The trees were thrashing back and forth, dead leaves falling from their tops as they tore up their roots from the hard soil and wriggled closer. A branch lashed out at Mega Man, knobby fingers with rough bark wrapping around him like ropes. He struggled as he was lifted off the floor.

"I…can't…break…free!" Mega Man gasped, the tree branch tightening around his ribcage. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Roll had been similarly captured.

The base of the tree's trunk split apart into a maw of splinters, like it had been snapped in half. Mega Man could only stare as the branch lifted him closer to the maw, unable to comprehend what was happening or how it was happening. It was like a bizarre dream.

Dr. Wily cackled at them. "We'll leave them to their fate," he said, motioning to the Robot Masters as he tucked the golden chest under an arm, Rush at his heels. "I have bigger plans for you, Lotos."

**"As you wish, master."** Lotos floated after Dr. Wily, but the black pupil of his eye lingered on Mega Man.

**_To be continued…_ **


	21. Master of Disaster, Part 2

Mega Man was just coming to terms with the fact that he was about to be eaten by a tree when he realized he had _no clue_ what to do about the situation.

"Roll—I think I'm going to need help!"

But Roll was busy struggling against her own man-eating tree. She rifled through her utility arm while the tree dangled her upside down, searching for anything she could use against wood (like a flame thrower or a chainsaw) but all she could only find things like a shower squeegee, a scrub brush, and a spray bottle of all purpose cleaner—well, that might work if thee trees had _eyes_ …

"Just kick or something, Mega!" she called back distractedly.

"I can't, I'm a lab assistant now, I don't know how to fight anymore!"

The tree began chomping down on his legs. It was like getting his foot slammed in a door over and over.

 _Trapped in trees,_ Mega Man thought morbidly as it began to suck him into its mouth, drooling sticky sap all over his shins. _Will they digest us, or, since we're made of metal, merely hold us in place as they grow around us for eternity?_

"Stay calm, Mega Man!" called a voice. "I will get you out of here!"

Mega Man felt a wave of heat accompanied by the smell of burning bark. The tree let out a raspy scream, spitting Mega Man from its mouth.

A Robot Master caught him, breaking his fall, and set him gently on the ground next to the temple.

"Who are you?" asked Mega Man, looking up at his rescuer.

"Officer Flame Man of R.I.P.," replied the Robot Master quickly. He wore black, red, and gold armor with a golden face guard, a white turban on his helmet, and his blaster arm was hooked up by hose to a fuel tank on his back. Mega Man recognized the familiar Robot International Police insignia on his chest. "I'll be back in a moment!" Flame Man added, darting away again.

A few seconds later, he returned with Roll, who's hair was tangled in with leaves and twigs, her utility smock drenched in sap.

"That purple thing…he turned you into humans?" asked Flame Man, looking from one to the other quizzically.

"Not exactly…" responded Mega Man with chagrin.

Flame Man looked at them thoughtfully, then back at the trees, which were closing in on the ruins in a tight swarm, their branches lashing out like angry whips, cutting them off from escape. "Normally I would never harm a tree, yet this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this," he said regretfully. "They do not like fire, but they also do not burn."

Mega Man looked around the temple behind them for something— _anything—_ that would help against an army of giant rubber trees, and spotted the double well Dr. Wily had drawn Lotos's chest from. As he looked upon it, he felt a crawling sense of déjà vu.

"Wait…I've seen something like this before…" he murmured, taking a step toward the circular pit.

Flame Man grabbed his shoulder, steering him away from the double well. "We must cross back. My creator is with your creator. I can make us a path, but we will have to run for it!"

* * *

After leaving Mega Man and Roll to be devoured by trees, Dr. Wily, Rush, and the Robot Masters filed into the Skullker and took off from the ruins without looking back.

Gravity Man settled down on one of the seats in the windowless fuselage and looked down at the toes of his red boots, feeling a bit forlorn. Rush bounded up to him, wagging his tail.

"Oh hey, remember me?" asked Gravity Man, reaching down to scratch Rush's ears. "Looks like we are in a similar fix. Mind you, there are worse fixes, but perhaps none so weird."

Drill Man, who was sitting across from Gravity Man, stared wistfully down at Rush. "Sorry I can't pet you too, pooch. No hands," he buzzed apologetically.

Cut Man and Guts Man watched Rush warily. They had been chased and bitten by him too many times to want anything to do with him, and decided to join Dr. Wily up in the cockpit instead.

Lotos hovered above the chair Proto Man usually sat in, his arms folded as he gazed at the horizon while Dr. Wily piloted.

"Doesn't look like Mega Man will _cut it_ as a lab-bot, does it, Guts Man?" chortled Cut Man to Guts Man.

"Yeah. Weird about those trees though," Guts Man murmured back, scratching his head.

Lotos's single football-sized eye slid over to look sideways at them, and he said in an undertone that only they could hear, "Even weirder when you consider they were once people."

"…Wait, what?"

"Kidding! Maybe." Lotos looked back at Dr. Wily. **"Tell me, human master. What else do you desire from the great Lotos?"**

Dr. Wily turned toward him, steepling his fingers and looking up from under his bushy brows at Lotos shrewdly. It was clear he wanted to test the limit of Lotos's abilities. "We'll start by taking over a single city. New York would be nice, with me as its Supreme Emperor!"

* * *

"Whoa, uh…there's a lot more cops then there were earlier."

Proto Man was looking outside the emergency exit at the base of the Citadel office building. It was well before sunup, and at least two dozen patrol cars were parked in the street, with robo-officers roving the sidewalks in pairs, their rotary cannons whirring ominously at intervals, walky-talkies in hands.

"Must have all just come off break," said Dr. Cossack lazily. He had been watching Proto Man with a wrinkled nose.

"It's okay…I kinda know this city after the toy stuff. We'll find a way to get you out of here without anyone the wiser. Oh, and don't shout for help or you'll regret it."

"Oh dear, this is really happening, whatever shall I do."

Proto Man snickered. "You're drunk. Awesome. Come this way—" He pointing down a dark alleyway that ran alongside the building. "And watch the last few stairs, they are not well lit," he added, holding out an arm to help Dr. Cossack.

Dr. Cossack flinched away as though Proto Man was covered in slime. "Don't touch me! I can walk myself."

"Are you this grouchy when you're sober?" asked Proto Man as they filed down the narrow alley, the security cameras taken out by the same force that had knocked out the rest of Citadel's security.

"Depends who I am talking to," Dr. Cossack responded tersely, his gloved hands stuffed in his lab coat's pockets. "Also, you technically are kidnapping me."

"Hey, if I offended you earlier, I'm sorry. I think your accent is really cool."

"Please stop talking."

"We can talk in Russian if you'd like," Proto Man said, ignoring him. "I'm a robot, _ya svobodno govoryu po-russki_."

"…Is something wrong with my english? I'm American."

"Oh, sorry, my bad." _Touchy._

"You won't get a penny from me," added Dr. Cossack.

"Heh heh heh…we'll see about _that,"_ Proto Man answered smoothly while checking over his shoulder to make sure the police stayed in the street.

 _"_ Just how do you plan on getting any money, anyway? You haven't issued any threats. Are you going to shoot me?" Dr. Cossack gave Proto Man's blaster arm a bland look.

"Uh—"

Threatening Dr. Cossack with a blaster would probably make him more cooperative and speed up his ransom delivery…however, Proto Man couldn't form one at the moment.

"—I don't shoot humans, but I'll keep you as a hostage until I get what I want."

Dr. Cossack shrugged. "I said I'd come to Skull Fortress. I've always wanted to see the Robot Masters. Let's go."

"Hold your horses, smart ass. We gotta find a safe way back to my jet first."

They had reached the end of the alley. Proto Man caught Dr. Cossack's sleeve, stopping him short, and peered out. There weren't as many police on this side of the building.

"This is the poorest abduction attempt I've ever seen," Dr. Cossack stated. "You certainly haven't planned this out."

"Nope. Just found your name in a newspaper article about five minutes before I left."

"Surely you have another robot at Skull Fortress who knows more about this sort of thing. Why not…" Dr. Cossack gave a small shrug. "…Call for help?"

Proto Man smirked. "Nah, he's going through some personal stuff right now, I don't want to bother him."

Dr. Cossack looked at him suspiciously. "…Like?"

"Robot stuff, you wouldn't understand. Besides, I've got everything under control. Now, if you'll just step quickly over here—"

During the commotion of Dr. Cossack's abduction, Proto Man had momentarily forgotten about his broken clavicle, and gestured with his blaster arm toward a different alley. Pain shot through Proto Man's shoulder. He flinched involuntarily, his blaster arm spasming.

Dr. Cossack was quick to notice this.

"Hmm, that shoulder hurts, huh?" he asked quietly, prodding his back in such a way a second splitting pain went through Proto Man's entire chest as though a bandsaw had hacked off his arm.

Proto Man recoiled away from him. "Yes, my shoulder hurts! I know you didn't mean to do that, but that really smarted!"

"Should you be walking around in that condition?" Dr. Cossack asked coldly. "Why not get it fixed?"

"I am getting it fixed, but it'll take a few weeks for Wily to recreate some of the titanium structure."

 _"Weeks?"_ Dr. Cossack repeated incredulously. "No wonder he never gets anything done!"

"Yeah, well I'd like to see you try, chemist."

"Sure, let's go to my laboratory. Sounds good to me."

"What, your chem lab with test tubes and bunsen burners? Haha, very funny, Dr. C. Now come with me before a cop comes this way," Proto Man retorted, tugging at Dr. Cossack's sleeve again with his good arm.

Unbeknown to Proto Man, Dr. Cossack had been working to keep police interference to a minimum. Using the simplistic communications of his watch, he had repeated his message that all was well, yet the police kept stubbornly repeating back (politely):

_There may have been a mistake in your last communication. Please recall last order so that we may assist you._

The truth was, Dr. Cossack worried the Los Angeles Police, in their haste to rescue him, might accidentally scare off Proto Man, who was obviously looking for quick money and might return to Dr. Cossack's office to steal any of a number of things that were extremely valuable—including the pearl. The California State Police were more reliable in these matters, but he likewise couldn't distract them from guarding Kalinka. Any other help would be too far away, therefore he needed to improvise.

As he followed Proto Man out into the new alley, he discretely plucked a broken handheld arc welder from an overflowing dumpster and slipping in his pocket, an eye on Proto Man at all times.

* * *

After fighting their way to the perimeter of the ruins where the trees could not follow (due to the rocky nature of the soil), Flame Man, Mega Man, and Roll gathered in one of the dig site's equipment tents.

Flame Man's creator was waiting with Dr. Light and Met. He had a black beard and wore a tan turban, a lightweight gray suit, a green striped tie, and an International Institute of Archeology lapel pin. Though he and Dr. Light had never met, they were familiar with each other's work and had instantly become friends over a mutual interest in robotics, prehistoric relics, and fossils. He introduced himself to Mega Man and Roll as Dr. Ramu while Flame Man retrieved an ankle brace from the dig site's medical supplies for Dr. Light.

"Thank you, Flame Man," said Dr. Light, easing his foot back into a loafer. He gazed up at Mega Man and Roll and their change of outfits with wonder, Met issuing a soft chirp. "…What happened?"

They told him the strange story of Dr. Wily's new ally, Lotos, which sounded just as surreal as it had the first time.

"He changed my titanium jumpsuit into _this_ number," said Roll, tugging angrily on the hem of her polyester smock, "And everything in my utility arm has been swapped with cleaning instruments!" She demonstrated by flashing between a broom, a feather duster, and a vacuum attachment. "Well, some of them are the same," she admitted with a reluctant nod at the vacuum, "But I've lost most of my tools and all of my weapons!"

"And I've lost my plasma cannon and armor, _and_ I've forgotten how to fight," listed out Mega Man, " _And_ they stole Rush—Wily's new minion somehow reprogrammed him, and I thought he was immune!"

Dr. Ramu looked faintly ill. "Have you been affected?" he asked Flame Man with concern.

Flame Man shook his head. "I don't think Dr. Wily or Lotos knew we returned after evacuating the students."

"Dr. Light, what _is_ this?" Mega Man asked, hoping for a logical explanation. "It's not _really_ magic, is it?"

Dr. Light took his handheld scanner and waved it over Mega Man and Roll. Then he and Dr. Ramu poured over the results on one of Dr. Ramu's computers. Mega Man and Roll waited tensely while Flame Man kept a lookout from the tent flap.

"I'm not sure I would define it as 'magic,' though I'm not sure I can provide the scientific explanation for it either," Dr. Light pronounced finally. "You are emitting a very strange radiation field—these readings are similar to when you were shrunk. While this strange energy remains around you…your systems are incompatible to be upgraded into anything other than what you currently are."

Roll's eyes widened in horror. "I don't want to be stuck this way! Mega may have gotten his wish, but this isn't mine!"

"I may want to be a lab bot _someday_ , but not while stuff like this happening," protested Mega Man. "Lotos got my wish completely wrong, and he knew it! Did you see how he _looked_ at me?"

"Don't worry yet. There may be some way to remove this radiation field," said Dr. Light, putting a hand consolingly on both Mega Man and Roll's shoulder. Met gave an affirmative beep.

"And it could be much worse," Dr. Ramu broke in gravely. His eyes were on his computer as he tabbed through photos of ancient cave drawings taken from the ruins. "Lotos has immeasurable power. As easily as he converted you two into domestic robots, he could just have easily erased you from existence with a blink of his eye."

This realization was far from comforting. Mega Man turned to Dr. Light at a loss. "How are we going to fight this thing?"

Dr. Light turned to Dr. Ramu. "Randeep…what do you know of Lotos?"

Dr. Ramu hesitated, his eyes flickering over to Flame Man, who nodded encouragingly. "What I'm about to tell you will sound incredible, but after what occurred in the ruins, I am convinced now more than ever that I am right. Though I build officers like Flame Man and Gravity Man for R.I.P., I have made it my life's research to study ancient civilizations. These ruins are of an ancient people called the Lotoans—they called themselves that after Lotos, for they worshipped him like a god. But he is not a god. He is some sort of creature, born of science, and perhaps older than the earth itself."

"What, Lotos?" queried Roll, stunned.

Dr. Ramu nodded. "He has gone by many names and has appeared before many ancient civilizations, promising them their greatest desires, corrupting them, and through his influence, bringing about their self-destruction."

"I think you're onto something," murmured Mega Man, thinking back to the double well. He exchanged a significant look with Roll and Dr. Light. "Remember Dr. Wily's little island out in the South Pacific?"

They gave Dr. Ramu a brief account of the Vanuu'bi, an ancient civilization from the stone age who had worshiped a being they called the 'Great One' which convinced them to build killer stone statues for warfare and trigger a volcanic eruption on their island, wiping them out from history.

Dr. Ramu was both fascinated and disturbed. "Yes, those ruins fit the same pattern. I would wager the creature that destroyed the Vanuu'bi is the same one we have encountered here in the Lotoan ruins and is responsible for the other vanished civilizations I have studied."

Mega Man sank down on a plastic bin. "Dr. Ramu…do you have any idea what this creature _is_?"

"Isn't it obvious? Lotos—or whatever this creature's true name may be—is an alien from another world."

"I knew it!" said Roll, punching the air so hard she struck the top of the tent. "Remember, Mega? I called it back on the island! It's just like the pyramids and stonehenge!"

"Those sites were built by humans using natural physics," said Dr. Ramu. He shot Dr. Light a concerned look. "This one watches a little too much junk T.V., Tom."

"I know," said Dr. Light with a rueful smile.

Dr. Ramu shook his head, but his face brightened. "As did I, when I was much younger," he admitted. "It's what sparked my interest in ancient history in the first place. But it's conspiracies like those that make it difficult for me to publish my research as anything more than legends and folklore. I do not have proof that this creature exists, therefore I'm afraid no one will take it seriously."

"But it's a monumental scientific discovery!" marveled Dr. Light. "Aliens, here on earth!"

"You'll make history," added Mega Man.

Dr. Ramu shook his head again. "It's not about that. I believe mankind is in great peril from this creature. You yourself have seen what he has done in the past."

"Yeah," said Roll. "And now Wily's taking that one-eyed weirdo to New York City, I'd bet on that!"

Mega Man stood up. "There's no time to lose, we better get going."

"The students are staying in our campsite on the surface," said Flame Man, gesturing toward the rainforest above. "Because of the remoteness of the Lotoan ruins, we were dropped off by jet, and with the radiation jamming our communicators, are stranded. Someone will check in on us before nightfall, but it may take hours."

"We came in our own aircraft and have a way out," replied Dr. Light. "That is, if the radiation does not prevent it from flying. Unfortunately, it can only carry a few passengers at a time."

Flame Man nodded. "You must go ahead without us then. We know Wily will head back to America, which is out of R.I.P.'s jurisdiction. Though, if what Dr. Ramu says is true, I'm not sure what you can do."

"I don't know either, but we'll have to try," said Mega Man.

"May I come with you?" spoke up Dr. Ramu. "Gravity Man sacrificed himself so that Flame Man and I could get my students to safety, but I promised Gravity Man we would get him back. I do not work for R.I.P., I only contract, so it shall be no problem if I come to America."

"Of course!" said Dr. Light instantly.

"Thank you. I'll bring my research. Perhaps we can find a solution," responded Dr. Ramu, grabbing a briefcase from a work table. "And I am very interested to learn more about the island of the Vanuu'bi."

"I'm sorry I can't follow you to America to fight Wily," Flame Man told Mega Man and Roll as they departed from the equipment tent. "But it's just as well, for we can't leave the students alone in the jungle. I'll contact Superintendent Ra Thor as soon as I can get through the radiation interference…though I'm not sure what I'll tell him. He'll think I've flipped my chips. Aliens! Who will believe that?"

* * *

The Skullker hovered high above New York City, which gleamed in the winter sunlight like a collection of toy blocks dusted in snow.

"Soon New York will be mine, then the cities of the world!" cackled Dr. Wily. "Do your 'magic,' Lotos!"

**"** **As you command, Master."**

Lotos raised his hands. A shadow fell over the city as green clouds filled the sky, blotting out the sun. Violet lightening shot from the clouds, and where it struck, chaos ensued.

The buildings flashed with light and began wriggling below the Skullker, like stubby tentacles on the back of a giant sea anemone. Bridges along the rivers broke free of their foundations, cutting off escape as they walked away on their piers like giant stick insects. Stone statues came to life and began rampaging through the streets, and cars became fanged beasts, snapping at every moving thing that passed by. Frightened, the humans retreated into the buildings, which had become living prisons.

"Yes, yes!" Dr. Wily jeered, dropping the Skullker low so he could observe the affects. "Even I could never dream up such terror! The people of New York City will have no choice but to accept me as their ruler! Now, to choose a place for my castle…Skull Fortress is too far away to rule from there."

 **"** **Why not bring Skull Fortress here, Master?"** suggested Lotos.

His eye focused on the Empire State Building, which his powers had yet to touch. With a flash of light, Skull Fortress materialized above it, balanced impossibly on its spire, as though it had been scooped directly out of the badlands. Then, like ice cream on a hot day, it appeared to _melt_ downwards, coating the Empire State Building's white walls with purple bricks and skull facades until it resembled something like a necromancer's palace with one-hundred and two floors.

Cut Man and Guts Man could only gape.

 **"** **The new Skull Fortress, Master,"** said Lotos, bowing. **"Would you care to see your throne room?"**

Dr. Wily clasped his hands in delight. "Excellent, Lotos! Truly excellent!"

"Uh, Dr. Wily?" Guts Man spoke up nervously. "How's he, uh—" He glanced helplessly at Cut Man.

"—How's he doing that?" Cut Man completed, equally nervous.

"Magic wish dome," answered Lotos, smiling.

"Don't ask foolish questions, you nitwits! You couldn't possibly comprehend the science behind his power!" Dr. Wily snarled (though he didn't understand Lotos's power either). He rolled his eyes at Lotos. "Those two are always dragging down my otherwise flawless schemes with their stupidity. I wish they were more competent."

**"** **Consider it done, Master."**

Cut Man and Guts Man cowered as Lotos turned toward them, smirking. They should have known something like this would come. They felt a brief tingling sensation between their ears as Lotos looked at them, but when nothing else happened and Lotos turned away, they both relaxed.

Dr. Wily's eyes were back on the city below, Cut Man and Guts Man already forgotten. "Excellent! Soon the entire city will be under your power!"

* * *

Despite claims to having everything under control, Proto Man seemed to be struggling to find a path to his jet. The first light of day was beginning to creep into the sky, businesses were opening up, and early morning commuters and tourists were walking along the sidewalks in light jackets—and he and Dr. Cossack were edging closer to the shopping district of the city, just barely succeeding in avoiding attention from the police.

They stopped short in front of a building papered with story-high advertisements for a perfume called 'California Princess.' It depicted a skinny blonde teenager with a black daisy hat blowing a kiss at the camera. Proto Man glanced at one of the posters. A memory surfaced of the same human in a graffitied alley, a blue robo-bird guardian at her side, calling him a _hero_ after he had retrieved her mother's sun-shaped keychain from one of Dr. Wily's thieving toys.

Dr. Cossack went deadly silent, his eyes flickering from the poster to Proto Man, but Proto Man turned his back on it.

"Uhh…" he said, looking up at street signs for an idea where to head next.

"Do _not_ take me down Broadcast Boulevard," Dr. Cossack hissed threateningly.

"Why? What's wrong with Broadcast Boulevard?"

Proto Man spied around the corner, spotting a bunch of robot look-a-likes of famous celebrities and notable people roaming the streets.

"Oh, I see…kinda like a touristy thing, where people take photos with robo-impersonators, huh?" he said, giving Dr. Cossack a sly look. "Even better than a robot museum…I'll be able to blend in. C'mon, let's go. We'll loose the police in here for sure," he said, ushering Dr. Cossack down the street.

Proto Man was instantly mobbed.

"Wow, look at this one! He looks so real!"

"Must be a professional…"

"It's Proton Man!"

"I think it's 'Proto' Man."

"No, it's 'Proton Man,' 'proto' isn't a word."

"I've seen the real Proton Man. This one looks nothing like him!"

"Hey Harry, get over here and take a picture of me and Proton Man!"

"Care to fight, 'Proton Man?'" called a Mega Man impersonator with a hinged mouth and rust around his joints.

Tourists pressed in on Proto Man, jostling his shoulder, pawing at his arms, tugging at his scarf and sticking cameras in his face. Over their heads, Proto Man saw Dr. Cossack sauntering away.

"Shit," he said aloud as he began struggling against the mob like a sardine trying to wriggle out of pack.

"Oh my god, he sounds just like the real Proton Man on the news!"

"I'm from New York and I'm telling you, he looks nothing like him!"

"I was here first!"

"Proton Man! Over here, Proton Man!"

Somehow, Proto Man managed to break free and catch up to Dr. Cossack just as the hem of his lab coat whisked around the corner into an emptier side street.

Dr. Cossack's face was tinged slightly red. He seemed to be trying to hold back laughter, but like someone who hadn't laughed in a long time, couldn't suppress a smile.

"I can't believe you came down here. It should have been _obvious_ what was going to happen."

"Yeah, laugh it up," said Proto Man angrily, having difficulty concealing his humiliation. He had never had a spotlight turned on him like that, with hundreds of strangers aggressively rushing him. It had been terrifying. "You're a tricky bastard, Dr. C."

Proto Man's toe caught the edge of an uneven pavement of sidewalk, and stumbled forward a few paces, his hand clapping a hand on his right knee. He had been walking too fast to get away from the crowd, and his damaged leg had twisted uncomfortably.

The mirth vanished instantly Dr. Cossack's face, like a surgeon switching to clinical mode. "Leg too, huh?" he asked, unsurprised.

"'What? No, I'm fine," said Proto Man, quickly straightening. "C'mon, we're getting closer!"

"Lead on, Proton Man," said Dr. Cossack dryly.

"Watch it, _hostage,_ or I'll ask Wily will make your stay at Skull Fortress extremely unpleasant."

"How frightening."

"You're hilarious, but seriously, no more tricks."

"Wouldn't dream of it," answered Dr. Cossack. While Proto Man had been distracted fighting off tourists, he had dropped a toolkit from a souvenir stand into his pocket, though his eyes lingered for a moment on Proto Man's shoulder and leg, his brow knitting.

* * *

A green cloud was covering New York City like a giant mushroom top as the air raider circled by, forks of purple lightning flashing irregularly. Shadows of skyscrapers waved inside like live beings. The Statue of Liberty was prowling the ocean surrounding it like a verdigris giant with glowing red eyes, its torch spewing an inferno of red fire. It turned its solemn face toward them, then broke a spike from its crown and threw it at them like a dart.

"Just like the radiation dome on the island," Mega Man muttered darkly as they maneuvered away to a safe distance.

"Indeed," murmured Dr. Light. "We're too late, Mega. Lotos has already turned the city into a living fortress."

Dr. Ramu looked upon the city sadly. "How terrible."

Meanwhile, Roll had been discovering more bizarre side effects of her personal radiation field. Along the way, she had attempted to install a digging pick into her utility arm, but as soon as she had finished it morphed into a plunger.

"At least you can still fight…if you get creative," said Mega Man tentatively, for he knew of the two of them, Roll hated her situation much worse.

"And I can't even get rid of this stupid uniform!" she fumed. "I tried putting on an excavation jacket Dr. Ramu said I could borrow, and it just changed into an apron!"

"It's a good thing Dad didn't get involved at the ruins," Mega Man added in an undertone, looking over at Dr. Light and Dr. Ramu, who were deep in conversation. "Who knows what sort of thing Wily would have wished on him!"

"Something really twisted knowing him, like to be as dumb as a turkey," growled Roll, glaring at her utility arm and switching it from a dustbin to a sponge to a dirty toothbrush.

Met beeped dismally from Roll's lap and switched one of the air raider's monitors to the local news with a retractable arm.

Bree Ricotta was reading from a teleprompter from the channel 3 news studio. "And the city remains in the grip of some kind of terrible magic perpetrated by that madman Dr. Wily who has proclaimed himself emperor of New York and turned the city into a living nightmare! Citizens are in fear wherever they go! No place is safe!"

The broadcast cut from footage of streetlights striking anything that moved like angry cobras, to monorails creeping along their track like giant maggots, to restaurant doors biting down on the coat tails of fleeing patrons like giant dogs snapping at mailmen.

Mega Man sighed, shaking his head. "Wily must _love_ getting all the credit for this. Everyone thinks it's just more of his mad science."

"I suggest we head for my lab, Mega," said Dr. Light. "Dr. Ramu and I want to do some research on Lotos."

* * *

Dr. Wily's new throne room was located at the one hundred and second floor of the former Empire State Building. It was an impressive space, with clearer-than-glass windows, and at its center stood a large golden throne, a giant golden skull with an inscribed 'W' formed its back, and it was upholstered in blood red satin.

Perching on the edge of this throne, Dr. Wily watched the chaos in the city unfold on the expansive surveillance console in front of him. Its monitors worked liked TVs, each station broadcasting live footage of a different victim in the city suffering or in terror as though being followed by magical cameras. Sure, he should be issuing demands, setting out his path for conquest, planning his new regime—but why not have a little fun first?

Dr. Wily howled with laughter as he watched a group of prominent defense attorneys chased into the leafless trees of Central Park by a pack of hopping trash cans, their openings like lamprey mouths.

"No one would dare to try and stop me now! Who needs robots when I have this kind of power?" he jeered, wiping tears from his eyes.

"How predictable. Wily's getting carried away," muttered Cut Man at the back of the room.

"Doesn't he always?" rumbled Guts Man. "I say we take care of him soon."

"Patience, Guts Man. Measure twice, cut once. We must wait for our opportunity."

Guts Man cracked his knuckles. "You always know best. Just say 'when' and I'll be ready."

The golden chest stood on a pedestal on Dr. Wily's right (Rush lay at his left side gnawing on a titanium bone; Dr. Wily had yet to realize Proto Man was missing). Dr. Wily was paranoid of losing Lotos and kept his chest at his side at all times, where he could easily be summoned for whatever whim struck Dr. Wily's fancy.

…However, what Dr. Wily _didn't_ know was that Lotos wasn't always in his chest. While Dr. Wily was busy gloating over Lotos's handiwork, Lotos went from floor to floor visiting the Robot Masters scattered throughout the new Skull Fortress.

When the Empire State Building had first transitioned into Skull Fortress, the Robot Masters had just appeared without warning. The humans working inside the Empire State Building and the Robot Masters had stared at each other in silent confusion for a few moments, then with small, cartoonish pops, the office workers and their cubicles disappeared to be replaced with supplies and equipment from Skull Fortress. Though still not understanding what had happened and hopelessly lost in their new hundred-story home, the Robot Masters were beginning to settle in, perfectly unsuspecting of what was about to happen next.

Spark Man was one of the first to take Lotos's bait.

"Um…you're not one of those wish granters that, like, totally gets the wish wrong, right?" he asked when Lotos first appeared to him and explained his 'magic'.

"…...No."

"Alright then…I wish I had a million wishes."

"Sure."

"Really? Usually there's like a rule against that."

"Nah. Knock yourself out."

"Okay…then I wish for a discman so I can listen to all my crank call comedy CDs."

"Done."

A discman appeared between Spark Man's electrode arms.

"Totally awesome. Now I wish I had batteries for the discman."

The smile that had been on Lotos's face faded slightly. "Alright…"

A package of AA batteries appeared on top of the discman.

"Radical. Now, I wish for some backup batteries for when these batteries die."

"Okay…we're not doing this." Lotos raised his hands, and with a flash like a lightbulb dying, Spark Man disintegrated, his discman and batteries clattering to the floor. "Next!"

"Well _obviously_ I wish I had a million w—" began Quick Man, who Lotos visited after Spark Man.

Lotos incinerated him before he finished.

Ring Man tried a spin on this.

"I wish I had the power to grant my own wishes."

Lotos narrowed his eye, then placed a palm on Ring Man's forehead. With a piercing scream, Ring Man began clawing at his own head, then melted into a pool of red and yellow goop.

Magnet Man, who had been standing next to Ring Man, stared down at the pool on the ground, then up at Lotus. "Uh….I wish he didn't make that wish?"

The pool of goop reformed itself back into Ring Man's shape.

"Whoa, what happened?" asked Ring Man, blinking up at Lotos. "Oh yeah, I was about to make a wish—"

 _"_ _Wait!"_ Magnet Man warned him earnestly, grabbing Ring Man's shoulder.

" _Pitiful._ You cannot comprehend my true power," Lotos whispered smugly.

"I wish I had a banana," said Gyro Man, who came after Ring Man and Magnet Man.

Lotos waved his hand impatiently, a yellow banana with brown speckles appearing in Gyro Man's hand.

"Score, banana."

"Don't do that!" moaned Astro Man as Gyro Man began to eat the banana. "Bad things have been happening when people make wishes. That banana will be poisoned!"

Gyro Man paused, squinting down at the banana. "Uhhh not this one."

"No?"

"Nope."

"Wait…I thought robots can't eat solid foods."

"We can't."

"Then how are you eating it? You don't even have a mouth."

"I don't know."

A second later, Gyro Man self-destructed.

The next few wishes didn't go much better.

"I wish I could understand animals, ribbit!"

"But that's so boring— _fine_ , but I'm taking away your ability to speak human."

"Ribbit? Ribbit ribbit ribbit."

"I wish I didn't have to deal with Gyro Man and Spark Man being annoying ever again!"

"Already granted."

"Thanks. Wait…what?"

Then there were wishes Lotos really _really_ had no intention of granting.

"World peace would be nice," said Hard Man.

"...What? You're programmed to serve Dr. Wily, who is bent on conquering the world."

"Even so, I just think the world would be a better place if we all got along," Hard Man said stoutly. "But I understand, perhaps some wishes are just too big, even for an all powerful fella like you."

As soon as Hard Man had his back turned, Lotos zapped him into a smoking patch of soot out of spite.

Yet not all of the Robot Masters were so easily tempted into making wishes.

Bomb Man was slightly concerned. "A lot of Robot Masters are dying today. Usually it's zero," he told Crash Man and Stone Man, scratching his head.

"It's just like I told 'em, mmm-hmmm, but no one listens to ol' Dusty," Dust Man said to himself before shutting himself up in a broom closet.

Snake Man was biding his time in the basement reading a book. He wanted Dr. Wily to succeed, but this was so stupid—Dr. Wily's plans just seemed to just be getting dumber and dumber.

Likewise, Elec Man had taken one look outside the window of his new 'office' (a former executive suite on the ninety-ninth floor) at the New York City skyscrapers (which now had pairs of windows glowing red like eyes and were belching fire balls into the streets) before shutting the blinds and firmly ignoring everything that was happening. The only thing he wanted was to somehow talk to his creator, who he could not remember, but that was something he'd never wish for because he knew it would put Centum in danger.

Top Man was nervously pacing the halls as he avoided Lotos, which were dark and gloomy like the smooth tunnels of catacombs. "Where's Proto Man?"

* * *

The police were getting more nervous about Dr. Cossack's whereabouts, the messages pulsing on his watch shortened to:

_Please recall last order so that we may assist you._

Dr. Cossack ignored these messages, still watching Proto Man with focused intent.

They were laying low in an empty bus shelter as several patrol cars rolled past.

"Quit checking your watch—you're not going anywhere anytime soon," Proto Man muttered to Dr. Cossack.

"Of course not. It's a nice morning full of fresh smoggy air. Let's continue wandering the city cluelessly. I'm really enjoying spending time with an amateur kidnapper, and it's not like I'm a busy person or anything."

"Uh…no offense, you didn't seem busy—though I know you were already having a fun night drinking alone."

"It's better than smoking."

"That's extremely true. Liquor's alright in moderation, but smoking will definitely kill you," Proto Man answered automatically, then grimaced. That had sounded like something Dr. Light would say. "—Not that it's any of my business."

But Dr. Cossack seemed to approve of this PSA. "You're right, smoking will turn a human's lungs black. It was very prevalent in the village I grew up in, unfortunately." He cast Proto Man a sidelong look, as though measuring him. "I've…tried once or twice when I've been extremely…stressed, but luckily the habit didn't stick."

"Oh, uh…keep it up," said Proto Man, not expecting Dr. Cossack to casually confess something so private and personal. Dr. Cossack was smart, opinionated, stubborn, and didn't give a damn what someone else might think—but also extremely guarded. Proto Man wasn't sure why, but there seemed to be a quiet affinity between himself and this sarcastic human he barely knew.

After checking that the coast was clear, Proto Man steered Dr. Cossack out of the bus shelter and down a alley with no traffic and only a few upscale shops.

"You know…this would be easier if you just coughed up some cash, then we could both go our merry ways," he said after he had forced them to duck behind a parked car to avoid being seen by a biker riding past.

"I don't have any money on me, idiot. It's not even in a bank account. It's all tied up in institutions like education, health, and public welfare."

"Oh." Proto Man hadn't considered this. "That makes me feel a little iffier about stealing it."

"You should feel that way about stealing any money as it goes directly into mad scientist which in turn terrorizes and disrupts innocent lives."

" _Or_ I can steal from other billionaires. No offense, but most of your kind are pompous greedy bastards."

"I know."

"But you kinda remind me of a younger, cooler, saner Wily, actually."

"Please stop talking."

"I mean that in a _good_ way! Usually scientists are stuffy and boring. Too bad you aren't a roboticist. If things weren't so tight between me and my creator, and you ever went into crime, I'd totally consider working for you."

"Absolutely not."

"Hey, like I always say, don't knock it until you've tried it."

"The only thing I'm looking to hire is a new lab assistant."

"Ew, lab assistant? No thanks."

Dr. Cossack gave a rude scoff. "That wasn't a job offer. You are not smart enough."

"...I'm smart! I'm qualified to be a lab assistant!" Proto Man stopped himself. "But what am I saying? Being a criminal is soooo much better than all that!"

Dr. Cossack wrinkled his nose at him. "I take crime very seriously, and I don't see your attraction to it."

"Because I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and it's _never_ boring."

"But you're so terrible at it."

"No I'm not! Here, watch," said Proto Man, pulling Dr. Cossack into a nearby store.

"I own this building," Dr. Cossack murmured quietly as they burst through the front door.

A middle aged human was working alone behind glass display cases containing pieces of jewelry.

"Alright, this is a robbery," Proto Man announced smugly.

The salesclerk looked confusedly at Dr. Cossack, who was kneading his forehead.

"Just put whatever he wants on my account," said Dr. Cossack in a bored, resigned voice.

The confused clerk immediately broke out into a huge grin and began directing Proto Man to the most expensive items in the store. "Well, sir," he said, addressing Proto Man like a customer, "We have excellent watches crafted in Switzerland, fine chains wrought in the best quality gold and platinum, or, if you have a special someone, we have a very exceptional collection of romantic jewelry—"

"You have taken all of the fun out of this," Proto Man muttered in an undertone to Dr. Cossack.

The clerk was watching them attentively. With a slightly guilty look at Dr. Cossack, he asked, "Um, Mr. Cossack….should I call the police…?"

"No, this is just a robo-impersonator for Broadcast Boulevard."

"Oooohhh. Proton Man, right? He looks real!"

"He's not, he has a bad leg and arm."

"Hey! You know what? Forget this," Proto Man interjected testily, shunting Dr. Cossack back toward the door before he could say anything else. "I don't need pity loot."

"Oh. Come again," the clerk called after them as they hurried back out of the store, looking disappointed.

"Next time, I need to find a store you don't own," grumbled Proto Man as they continued on down the street.

"Good luck," Dr. Cossack answered simply. While they had been in the store, he had pocketed a high capacity mini-battery from one of the security systems. It wouldn't be much longer now.

* * *

While Dr. Light and Dr. Ramu put their heads together over how to counter Dr. Wily and Lotos, Mega Man and Roll went down to Roll's workshop to see if there were any other ways they could fight.

Mega Man picked up a laser gun for practice shooting in an armored training room, but his aim was so poor that Roll had to drag him by his collar behind a super-steel barrier as his laser somehow rebounded toward them. Sheepishly, he handed the laser gun to Roll, which promptly morphed into a plastic watering can at her touch. She pitched it across the lab in frustration, then they both had to hit the deck as it changed back and went off again after hitting the wall.

"I bet Dr. Wily thinks he's really clever with this," muttered Mega Man as they dusted themselves off. "We're not out of the game, so of course we'll try to stop him, but how can we? I'm just Rock now. Mega Man was the one who was good at fighting Dr. Wily."

Roll gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "Don't say that…you're the same person! He replaced all my gear with cleaning supplies and you don't see me complaining."

Mega Man couldn't help but smile. "You've done nothing _but_ complain since that happened."

"Yeah, well, it's the principle of the thing. But I'm not giving up, and neither are you!"

They returned to the laboratory to check on Dr. Light and Dr. Ramu.

"Have you found Lotos's weakness yet?" Roll asked hopefully.

Dr. Light and Dr. Ramu looked up from printouts of rune translations and glanced at each other.

"Here, we can only guess, for in all the legends I have uncovered, he was only defeated once—" began Dr. Ramu, "—And that is the tale of Lotos."

"According to the ancient legend, Lotos can only be defeated in his true physical form," continued Dr. Light. He pointed to his supercomputer's row of overhead screens, which were displaying Dr. Ramu's photos of a Lotoan stone tablet covered with drawings. One depicted Lotos's open chest, and above it a giant floating eye wreathed in fire, as though mid transformation into something else. "If he were destroyed in this form, he will become powerless and be forced to return to the golden chest. Then, his radiation will be lifted and the city will return to normal."

"That is how the legend of Lotos went," Dr. Ramu cautioned. "The other legends ended much differently, as you saw with the Vanuu'bi. Still, In all my studies, the Lotoans were the most recent civilization to have contact with this creature, which may lead credibility to this legend," he added hesitantly, glancing over at Dr. Light.

"However, they also appeared to have vanished without a trace shortly after this was recorded," said Dr. Light with a furrowed brow, motioning toward the tablet again.

"Regardless, it sounds like it's our only hope," Mega Man said grimly.

"But how are we going to get Lotos to change into his true form?" asked Roll.

"In the legend, he was boastful, which became his downfall, so that may be the easy part," answered Dr. Light, "—But I don't think it's a good idea for either of you to enter battle in this…uh….'condition.'"

Mega Man clenched his hands into fists. "It doesn't matter. Lotos can do something like this or worse to anybody. But we have to try _something_ or we're all goners!"

"Yeah, and I _personally_ want to make sure Wily pays for this insult!" joined in Roll.

"Alright, then I shall come along too and help in anyway I can," said Dr. Light.

Met gave a beep to indicate she was coming as well.

"And I," volunteered Dr. Ramu. "Gravity Man will be there, and a roboticist would do anything to rescue their creation from the control of that mad scientist!"

* * *

Dr. Cossack fingered the gadget he had built in his pocket, watching Proto Man carefully for an opportunity to strike as they wandered through a residential district. It was an improvised electro-shock weapon—not dissimilar to an electro-neutralizer pulse gun, but without the right tools it did not have the same safety limiters.

There was only one thing that nagged him. Proto Man's shoulder had deep internal damage. A shock like this might overload his power core, which would be fatal for him.

It was a small chance, perhaps only ten percent. Good gambling odds. Dr. Cossack should strike now, and if luck was on his side as probability indicated, Proto Man would power down in the street and this annoying nightmare would end.

But Dr. Cossack looked at Proto Man shoulder, picking out a hairline seam where the titanium skin had been imperfectly welded back together. If he were more honest, the chance that an electric shock would kill Proto Man was likely greater—twenty percent, _or more_. Even a normally harmless electro-neutralizer pulse might cause irreparable damage in Proto Man's present condition.

Dr. Cossack tried to steel himself up as acceptable loss. After everything Proto Man had done, Dr. Cossack couldn't lose this chance—

Yet he couldn't. Not like this.

_Stupid boy…why did you have to pull this stunt without waiting for your repairs to be completed?_

In the end, Proto Man caught Dr. Cossack in a moment of hesitation in an empty fenced in lot behind a bakery.

"Did you just MacGyver this out of junk?" he asked as he confiscated the weapon and tossed it on top of the bakery's rooftop, extremely impressed. "You really are tricky! You ought to consider a career in robotics. It's more interesting than chemistry, trust me."

Dr. Cossack was looking down at the ground, his hands back in his pockets, looking defeated. He had stopped walking. "Tell me…how are the robots treated at Skull Fortress?"

"Oh, they love it. Best place in the world for a robot."

"Even better than being with Dr. Light? He's considered the best roboticist in the world."

"Uh, yeah…way better than Light."

Dr. Cossack glanced back up at Proto Man, his face impassive. "I may have met Light in passing, but I'm not sure what to think of him. He's famous for building Mega Man, of course. Is he…strict? Neglectful?"

Proto Man gave a small smile at the dropped honorific. "I don't really know the guy…I guess he's kinda doofy and clueless."

Dr. Cossack shrugged. "Might be true…though those aren't crimes. His heart seems to be in the right place. As for cluelessness, probably runs in the family."

"Yeah, well, we better get going before someone sees us. We're almost back to my jet," Proto Man answered curtly, changing the subject. He rested against the wooden fence, his right arm rubbing his left shoulder and shivering. "Uh, in just a sec."

Dr. Cossack observed Proto Man over his half rim glasses. Judging by the brash behavior Proto Man had been exhibiting all morning, the combined strain from his damaged shoulder and leg was causing him to be slightly delirious.

"I don't know why you're still bothering to hide," Dr. Cossack said, gazing up to a far distant balcony. A woman in a nightgown was looking down at them with the half interested expression of someone watching pigeons. "You've already been spotted hundreds of times from windows, yet no one has reported you because you look like a Proton Man robo-impersonator."

"No, a robo-impersonator would look like me, not the other way around," Proto Man contested hotly, his hand clenching into a fist. "And stop saying Proton Man!"

"Proto Man." Dr. Cossack walked around to face Proto Man dead-on as he mirrored Proto Man's posture by leaning against the fence. "Let me guess, you snuck out of Skull Fortress even though you are in no condition to be on your own. You should either be confined to a lab or at least kept under the watchful eye of a roboticist."

"That's ridiculous, I'm _fine._ Worry about yourself, hostage."

Dr. Cossack leaned in a little closer, dropping his voice gently. "Perhaps I was a little harsh on you earlier. You should not be walking around with this kind of damage; you should come back to my lab with me."

"Hey, I'm my own boss, I decide what I do, and I'm not that damaged, and if even I were, only a qualified roboticist like Dr. Wily could fix me."

Dr. Cossack resisted the temptation to sigh. He had come to conclude that dealing with Proto Man was like dealing with a tired toddler who refused to go to bed, and Dr. Cossack really hated that he was now thinking of Proto Man in these terms. "I bet there is something I can do," he said with forced patience.

* * *

Things continued to dwindle into insanity at Skull Fortress, like several songs becoming jumbled together on the same track. Wood Man had wished for there to be more flowers, and Bright Man added onto this wish by requesting that they be _singing_ flowers, which were now sprouting on every floor to the irritation of all other remaining Robot Masters.

After ignoring this ridiculousness for as long as could, Elec Man had finally had enough. Crushing yet another annoying singing abomination under the heel of his boot as it attempted to take root under his desk, he lifted his communicator to call the person he had been avoiding.

"Elec Man to Proto Man."

* * *

The beeping noise of the communicator made both Proto Man and Dr. Cossack jump.

"Hey, Elec Man—now's not the best time. I'm in the middle of abducting a hostage," said Proto Man, accepting the transmission and privately glad for the interruption.

"Proto Man, you idiot, you weren't supposed to leave Skull Fortress."

"I'm coming back, what's the big deal?"

"It won't be where you last saw it. Wily teleported it to New York City, which he's taken over with his new weird power. It's making the impossible happen, like giving life to inanimate objects and wishes come true, no matter how obtuse."

"It's just mad science, Elec Man—he's done stuff like this before."

Dr. Cossack suddenly seized Proto Man's blaster arm.

"Ow ow ow—my shoulder, Dr. C…"

Dr. Cossack ignored Proto Man, pulling the communicator close. "Elec Man. Did you see how Wily is doing this?"

"Um…who are you?"

"It's my hostage," answered Proto Man. "He's really bossy, don't worry about him."

"He has a thick accent."

"I know, I know…" responded Dr. Cossack softly. He was cradling Proto Man's blaster arm in a way that twisted his shoulder, and Proto Man squirmed in discomfort. "Elec Man, Wily's new power…did you see what it was?"

"He's using some kind of being called Lotos. Surely it's on the news by now."

Dr. Cossack gave Proto Man a sharp look. "Do you have a video communicator?"

With his good arm, Proto Man reached into the folds of his scarf, pulled out his video communicator, and tuned it into a local news broadcast.

"Looks like Dr. Wily and his wacky mad science are at it again!" the peppy android Plum announced cheerfully from the card-sized screen. Baffling imagery of monster buildings, green clouds with purple lightening, a moving Statue of Liberty, the new Skull Fortress, and a floating ghost-like creature with one eye were being displayed on a digital topic box. "Dr. Wily has finally taken over New York City, this time with a strange new invention called 'Lotos.' More on this story and your local weather at eleven!" she smiled brightly as the broadcast cut to a dish detergent commercial.

"Holy shit…Doc actually found something in the ruins," said Proto Man, stowing the video communicator again.

Dr. Cossack had gone very pale, his skin contrasting with the dark shadows under his eyes. "Elec Man, stay hidden, stay _safe,_ and whatever you do, do _not_ interact with Lotos."

"I know, I'm not a moron…Can I talk to Proto Man again?"

Dr. Cossack's grip around Proto Man's blaster arm slacked quite abruptly.

"Sorry, he's not really a people person," Proto Man told Dr. Cossack, pulling his blaster arm back gingerly. "Proto Man here."

"Quit messing around and get back here. Things are getting really—strange. Even for Wily."

"Fine, I'll deal with it. Just lie low and hang tight like the hostage said. Proto Man out." Proto Man turned back to Dr. Cossack, smiling. "Looks like you're off the hook, Dr. C. Tell you what, you'll never have to worry about me kidnapping you again. You're alright, for an asshole billionaire. Now I should probably go before Wily replaces me with a new second-in-command—"

Dr. Cossack grabbed Proto Man by his good shoulder. "Wait, Proto, listen to me."

"Hey, only my friends call me 'Proto'," quipped Proto Man, but he didn't shake off Dr. Cossack's hand.

" _Listen to me,"_ Dr. Cossack hissed, his eyes boring into Proto Man's visor like icicles. _"_ That _thing_ Wily is using to cause all that chaos is an alien."

"What? Don't joke like that, Dr. C, you're kinda scaring me," said Proto Man, laughing uneasily. There was a strange sinking sensation building up in his chest. He respected Dr. Cossack as a competent man of science. If he thought that creature was an alien…it was likely true. "You probably have just had too much to drink, right?"

 _"_ _I'm not drunk!"_ Dr. Cossack said in exasperation. "I had like five whiskies, that's not much you sheltered Ameri—never mind. The scientists I employ at Citadel laboratories study inexplicable phenomena like this. I don't know the nature of this one, but it's far more powerful than any I've ever seen. You cannot understand it, you cannot control it, and you cannot fight it."

Proto Man was a little off put by these blunt statements harshly delivered like physical blows, but quickly brushed them off. "I'm not planning on controlling _or_ fighting it. Besides, alien beings, mad scientists—peas in a pod, really. Who better to understand whatever this thing is than Dr. Wily?"

Dr. Cossack let go of Proto Man's shoulder and pressed his gloved palms into his forehead. "It makes me angry that I can't think of a counter argument for that. Will nothing get through to you? Come back with me to my lab. Perhaps we can find something to help—"

"For the last time, no. You're tricky, and I'm starting to think you've set up a trap for me there."

"You are only now getting red flags about this situation?" Dr. Cossack said in aggravation. "But I'm not trying to trick you right now. We need help. Alien technology cannot be fought with earthen technology, it can only be fought with—"

But whatever Dr. Cossack was about to say, Proto Man never found out, for Dr. Cossack suddenly vanished.

Proto Man started. "…What the hell? Dr. C?" he called. He whirled on the spot, but there was no sign of Dr. Cossack anywhere within the empty lot. "Well there goes my hostage…"

* * *

Judging from past experiences with radiation domes, flying directly to Lotos would be out of the question, so Dr. Light landed the air raider on the outskirts of the city. Mega Man had also left his Stealth Glider behind. Even if it could operate under this radiation, Mega Man didn't want to chance flying it, and Roll was convinced it would just become an ironing board if she tried.

Mega Man had changed into a pair of jeans and wore a coat to be more comfortable in the freezing February weather, feeling as acutely unarmored as a human citizen.

…Which was a very unnerving feeling, especially now that city had gotten _worse_ since they had last seen it. Nearly every last human was trapped inside a building, while every last object on the streets, from telephone booths to city busses, was moving around on its own and acting extremely aggressive. To add to the mayhem, offhand wishes from confused and frightened citizens were being granted at random. "I wish I weren't in the city today!" resulted in the wisher being teleported to deserted islands or on top of remote mountains. Children wishing for snow days had accidentally caused it to snow _inside_ their apartments, forcing them to go to school to wait out Dr. Wily's latest invasion.

"Needless to say, it is folly to try to claim Lotos's power for yourself as Dr. Wily has, for he is no servant," Dr. Ramu told Mega Man and Roll as they entered the city. "Lotos turns the desires of his human 'masters' to their own peril."

Mega Man chuckled humorously. "Yeah, I don't expect phrases like 'I wish Lotos would go back into his chest' or 'I wish Wily got a new hobby!' will work for _us!_ "

* * *

The radiation cloud parted like a tunnel as Proto Man approached in his jet, making it easy for him to fly directly to the landing pad on top of the new Skull Fortress.

"Proto, there you are!" Dr. Wily greeted happily as Proto Man entered his throne room. "I've brought you a new support unit!"

"What—" Proto Man barely got out before Rush pounced on him.

"Easy, the shoulder—and the leg—" Proto Man gasped as he collapsed to the floor.

Dr. Wily turned toward the shadowy figure at his side. "Lotos, his internal structures are damaged. Please fix them."

**"** **It will be done."**

Proto Man felt a strange knitting sensation in his shoulder and right leg, then the soreness lifted. Tentatively, Proto Man rolled his shoulder, then formed a plasma cannon. Good as new.

Rush gave Proto Man a very sloppy kiss, his tail wagging furiously. Grimacing, Proto Man pushed him back. "W…where's Mega Man?" he asked Dr. Wily.

"Trapped in some old ruins! The fool made a wish to give up his powers and become a lab assistant, and Lotos generously granted it!"

Proto Man looked over to Cut Man and Guts Man, then back at Dr. Wily, who was grinning so widely that it looked painful. No one was contradicting this story.

"….So, magic wish granter, huh?" he asked while scratching Rush's ears, who had calmed down enough to sit on his haunches, panting excitedly. Proto Man looked up at Lotos who was hovering several feet off the floor, his muscled arms crossed.

"That's right! He can do anything!" cried Dr. Wily.

"Anything, Proto Man," Lotos murmured quietly, watching him from his single eye as he drifted closer like a dark cloud on a breeze.

"Hey Wily…not that I'm not grateful and all, but I don't want a support unit. I've told you this, like, many many times," said Proto Man with slight aggravation, standing up. Rush whined. "No offense, but I work alone and you're Mega's dog," Proto Man added to Rush.

At Mega Man's name, Rush gave a slight growl, then whimpered at Proto Man again, laying a paw on his boot.

Dr. Wily merely waved a hand dismissively. "Oh Proto, don't you see the poetic irony of claiming your worst enemy's beloved pet as your own? Besides, the Robot Masters love him. We can't get rid of him now."

Dr. Wily turned on his heel and marched imperiously back to his throne as though that settled things, leaving Proto Man alone with Lotos.

Lotos gazed down at Proto Man with a smug expression on his lips. His football-sized eye was white and slightly luminous, its black pupil like a deep black hole.

"Glad to see you here, finally. I had to get you away from _him_. He's a fun guy but he knows too much. Gets him into trouble."

Proto Man had a feeling Lotos wasn't referring to Dr. Wily. "Who…Dr. Cossack? Uh, what happened to him?" he asked quietly, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Nothing. He's just unconscious in his penthouse. Safe and out of the way."

"Heh…" Proto Man wasn't sure what else to say. A faint chill was setting into his titanium. Lotos had been performing acts that some might classify as miracles, and his entire attention was focused on Proto Man. Proto Man felt like he was only beginning to see the magnitude of this creature and how powerless he was against him, like a single protozoa against a planet. "…It's really cool you're letting Wily have his fun," he said finally.

"Yeah, he's a bit of a weirdo, right?" replied Lotos, smiling. "One thing I gotta ask though, what would be _your_ wish?"

"Yeah…not going to do that, seeing as you twist the words everyone says to maximum terror," said Proto Man carefully, gesturing out the window where screaming could be heard.

"I did not! Everyone got exactly what they wanted." Lotos bent over, his single eye inches away from Proto Man's visor. "This is fun and all, but wouldn't it be neat if Mega Man was on your side?"

Proto Man's pulsar pulse began pounding in his ears. "Uh…I _might_ want that, and it might take something as powerful as a wish to make it happen…But what kind of brother would I be if I asked a shady paranormal superpower with obvious ulterior motives to force him to join me?"

Strangely, what Proto Man found himself wishing was for his former hostage Dr. Cossack to be here (at least _he_ seemed to have an inkling of what was going on)—but Proto Man knew better than to say that out loud. Who knew how Lotos would decide to interpret it. Under Lotos's gaze, he had an odd sensation of something like ropes or cables coiling around him, tightening like invisible pythons.

"Aw, how sweet. But you're wasting your chance, Proto Man," Lotos replied in an almost sing-song way.

"No, I'm good. Love your work, by the way. I think you're fantastic."

"You're a smart ass." Lotos turned his back on him, and the coiling sensation faded. "I know there's gotta be ways to screw with you but I'm totally blanking. I'm going to hang around someone dumber and more deluded."

Then Lotos returned to Dr. Wily's side.

* * *

Progress through the city was slow with literally everything attacking them, but they managed to get through the streets with Roll fending off newspaper vending boxes with a carpet beater while Met shielded Mega Man, Dr. Light, and Dr. Ramu from projectiles with her retractable arms.

Dr. Ramu was leading the way with a portable homing device. "We're getting closer. Gravity Man should be over there…" he trailed off. The direction he had pointed was where the Empire State Building had been, which now was decorated in horned skulls and golden 'W' insignias visible in the radiation cloud's greenish gloom.

"Figures Wily would choose the tallest building for his fortress." Mega Man nodded to Roll. "We'll go on ahead to face Lotos, you two follow from a safe distance with Met!"

Mega Man and Roll tore down the street at superhuman speeds, parking meters pelting them with loose change as they went.

"Randeep…if this does succeed, what shall you do?" asked Dr. Light after they had left.

"Once the creature has been dealt with, I shall no longer have an excuse to examine ruins instead of working as a roboticist at R.I.P.," answered Dr. Ramu. "Still, I will miss studying aliens, I have been fascinated with xenology since I was a boy. If only there had been some who weren't so destructive…but let's not count our chickens before they hatch. Mega Man and Roll are very brave to take on this mission with so slim of a chance. You must be proud."

Dr. Light chuckled. "I am, and I have every faith they will come through, even against this."

* * *

Dr. Wily was still pursuing the channels from his surveillance console when he landed on video of Mega Man and Roll running through the streets, Mega Man covered his head with his arms as a flock of gargoyles pecked at their hair, Roll beating them back with a broom.

"So…he came anyway," Lotos said in a low voice, his lips spreading into a half-moon smile.

"Mega Man?" uttered Dr. Wily angrily. He turned toward Lotos, his face flushing in the same way it did when he was angry at the Robot Masters. "He escaped your magic?"

Lotos bowed humbly. **"I shall make sure to destroy them this time if that is your wish, Master."**

But Proto Man barred Lotos's way. "Hey, uh…go easy on the kid, alright?" he asked quietly.

Lotos chuckled, his unibrow drawing maliciously over his eye. "Why? You're not turning into a boring goody two-shoes, are you?"

"Of course not! I'm just saying he's not really a threat anymore, he's just acting out on his dumb hero complex."

"Yet you won't even wish Mega Man was on your side?"

"Why do you keep bringing that up?"

"No reason." Lotos looked Proto Man over. "You're a stick-in-the-mud, Proto Man. I always knew you would be."

Then, wish a flash of purple light, Lotos was gone without further confrontation.

Proto Man shivered as though the room temperature had dropped below freezing like the air outside. What was he going to do?

He didn't have time to think about this though, for out of the corner of his eye he caught Cut Man and Guts Man exchange dark glances as soon as Lotos had left, Cut Man nodding importantly. Their stances became hostile, and they were glaring up at Dr. Wily, Cut Man drawing a _Rolling Cutter_ and Guts Man balling his hands into fists.

Proto Man edged back toward Dr. Wily, drawing a blaster. Rush was growling at his side. "Hey, Doc?"

Dr. Wily looked up from the surveillance console to Cut Man and Guts Man, frowning. "What is the meaning of this?"

"It's a mutiny, Wily," Cut Man responded angrily, clacking his sheers. "You're the one who's not competent!"

"I'm starting to think Ice Man had the right idea!" joined in Guts Man, glaring up at Dr. Wily from under the brim of his yellow helmet.

"The teleportation chamber, the island with the red statues, the dream machine—" listed Cut Man. "You always had us do all the hard work and act as guinea pigs!"

"Well no more! We're in charge now!" thundered Guts Man.

Dr. Wily's face was turning a furious red. "You fools! You'll regret this insubordination! Lotos, stop them!"

But Lotos did not return.

"Chill out, Cut Man and Guts Man, before things get rough for you," warned Proto Man, positioning himself between Dr. Wily and the Robot Masters. "You know I can beat both of you blindfolded and with both arms tied behind my back without even wasting energy!"

"Normally, you could," responded Cut Man evenly, his eyes narrowed. "But thanks to that dummy's foolish wish—" he nodded at Dr. Wily, "—I doubt you can beat either of us even in your prime."

"Shit," muttered Proto Man, having a funny feeling this was true.

* * *

"This is really getting out of hand," Roll complained as she beat back the last of the gargoyles after splintering seven brooms. "I doubt Wily can control this for much longer!"

"Maybe we can talk the bad-bots into teaming up with us like back on the island," Mega Man said wistfully, brushing gravel out of his hair as they continued to run down the street.

Roll gave him a dirty look. "Don't even joke!"

"…Still mad about Proto, huh?"

"I'm never getting over it," she responded stubbornly, crossing her arms. "I can't blame Dad too much though," she added. "He was so sad when we talked about it. He didn't mean for him to turn into that arrogant jerk! Proto Man really pulled the wool over his eyes. I can't imagine him being a good guy, can you?"

"It's a bit of a stretch…" admitted Mega Man.

New Skull Fortress was growing closer, but they were forced to pause again to rescue a pair of humans from a red convertible, which was spitting like an angry tiger, its front bumper a row of oily fangs, and its headlights flashing like eyes. Roll drove a iron skillet into the car's engine while Mega Man escorted the humans to safety.

"Hey, it's that one blonde chick that fights with Mega Man, what's her name…?" said the one human, snapping his fingers.

"Dunno. Told you she was just a housekeeper," responded the other. "I wish Mega Man was here instead."

"But I _am_ here," groaned Mega Man as the humans ran off without thanking them. He glanced at Roll, who looked stormy. "Hey, don't let those jerks get you down."

"Ugh..it's _fine_ , it's just…I just wish for once I was a hero like you, and you knew what it was like to be the sidekick!"

At these words, shimmering light surrounded Roll. Her polyester smock became titanium armor, her utility arm a plasma cannon, a helmet materializing around her hair.

Mega Man gaped at Roll's transformation, then yelped as he suddenly fell forward onto the sidewalk as though he had been shoved.

Roll didn't notice Mega Man fall. A huge smile was on her face. "Wow! It's really happening! I'm like you, Mega Man! I'm Mega—Man…" she trailed off, looking down at her chest.

Mega Man, who was still on the ground, looked up and tried to say something, but he could only bark.

Roll looked down, and cringed. "Oh shit! I didn't mean a sidekick like Rush! I'm sorry, Mega! I take it back! I wish we were back to normal!"

But nothing happened.

"It must only work when something bad can happen," said Roll in chagrin.

Based on everything they had seen so far, Mega Man thought this was obvious, and barked again. It was all he could do now as a robo-canine support unit.

"Shit...well, hopefully Dr. Light's right and when we take out the bad guy, we'll change back," Roll said in a rallying voice. "C'mon, jetmode."

Mega Man realized they didn't have a choice but to go along with this development. Roll was now a blonde, red, and beige palette swap of himself, and he was now a blue palette swap of Rush. Fantastic. At least in these forms they had a better chance at fighting Lotos, which was an improvement on their situation. Technically. He transformed, his body folding into a long rectangular jetboard.

They took to the sky, Mega Man's ears fanning out in the wind. For some reason, he wasn't having the same flight stabilization problems Rush had experienced inside the radiation dome on the island. He wondered if the two radiation fields were somehow canceling each other out in this regard.

Lotos was waiting at the top of the new Skull Fortress with folded arms, revolving in a slow circle like a hot air baloon as his eye scanned the horizon.

" **I know you are out there, puny robot!"** his voice boomed as though over a stadium loudspeaker. Lotos stopped rotating as he caught sight of Roll and Mega Man jetting toward him, his giant eye blinking. "Whoa…I see you've been having fun with my magic wish field. You're kinda like those two bots who wished more chicks hung out at Skull Fortress…didn't really learn anyone's names, but you know who I'm talking about."

"Shut up you demonic creep!" retorted Roll as they flew into range. Then she frowned, thinking about what Lotos just said. "Wait, what was that last part?"

Mega Man barked sharply and Roll shook her head to focus.

"Good thing you're hiding behind that magic, Lotos—because if you turned into your true form, you wouldn't stand a chance against me!" she taunted, drawing a plasma cannon.

Lotos grinned broadly. **"We shall see about that, puny robot! You cannot grasp my true form!** ** _BEHOLD AND DESPAIR!"_**

His eye glowing a blinding white, Lotos became engulfed in purple flames, just like the drawing from the Lotoan tablet. Then with a roar like thunder, a winged beast the size of a passenger airplane emerged from the fire, its scales the same midnight blue that Lotos had been, with seven triangular heads sitting on long necks like snakes.

"Ugh…a dragon? Can this day get any weirder?" groaned Roll.

Mega Man certainly _hoped_ not.

Lotos's seven heads began laughing, a booming chorus as he pumped his leathery wings. **"Enjoy the battle, it will be your last!"** the center one sneered, flickering a forked tongue as it spoke.

"Yeah, you _wish_ , lizard brain!" shouted Roll.

She began firing, her plasma blasts a bright ultraviolet like the lit filament of a black light. Lotos barrel rolled through the air, his horned dragon heads opening wide to spit fireballs at them.

Mega Man concentrated hard on performing the correct air combat maneuvers to get Roll in the right position for clear shots at Lotos. This was so much more difficult than Rush made it look. He had to make sure he stayed level at all times while suddenly darting and accelerating to avoid blasts of fire, sweeps from the massive tail, and Lotos's steely fangs and talons, all without losing either his passenger or sight of Lotos's position.

Roll was frustrated. She had been firing constantly at Lotos's hide with no noticeable effect as though his scales were of super steel while the seven heads took turns laughing at them and breathing fire.

"Mega Man—how do you deal with such a limited arsenal?" she asked as she took aim at Lotos's main head.

Mega Man barked.

"The ability to copy weapons is cool and all, but I've got a ton of special abilities by default! It'd be much easier if I had my grappling hook to get in close, a pod of Dino Tar to glue his wings together, or my toaster cannon for more powerful blast! Even with only the housekeeper attachments I could have at least blinded that scaly freak with the dirt from the vacuum cleaner bag!"

Mega Man barked.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I prefer my utility arm over your plasma cannon!"

Mega Man barked.

"…This isn't really much of a conversation, is it?"

A fire blast hit the bottom of Mega Man's jet board, and he yelped as they careened off course. The break in focus caused him to lose jetboard form and he began falling down backwards toward the skyscrapers below.

For a brief second, Mega Man witnessed the surreal sight of watching his four blue paws pedaling frantically toward the green clouds above, Lotos's scaly belly clearly visible, before he flipped over and transformed back into a jetmode. Then he dived, searching for Roll. Crap, where did she fall, and how many times had Rush had to rescue himself from falling like this? Mega Man needed to catch her before she became a concrete crater in the street—

He succeeded, though just narrowly avoiding crashing into a steel skyscraper at the same time. Roll grabbed the front edge of the jetboard to steady herself as they climbed altitude again. "Geez Mega, can't you fly a little smoother?" she complained.

Mega Man barked.

"…You're doing great, by the way!" she added guiltily.

Mega Man looked up at Lotos and barked again.

"I saw it too! There's a bald patch in his scales on his belly! That must be his weakness! Okay, Mega, get me in for a clear shot—"

Flattening his ears, Mega Man went full throttle, pushing his jet engines to their limit. Roll was steadying her plasma cannon. Dropping from above like a gigantic hawk, Lotos roared with laughter, his claws outstretched, then Roll fired her supershot, the ultraviolet blast piercing the large vesica piscis-shaped hole in his scales.

Lotos reeled, screeching like a banshee.

 **"** **AHHHHHHHH! You cursed brats! Look what you've done!"** he screamed, writhing in midair, his form burning up into purple flame. " **Who would have thought that a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness? Arrgggh! I'm gone! I'm gone! I'm going…oOOooOOo…."**

The purple flames dissipated into nothingness. All around Mega Man and Roll, buildings began flashing, stretching toward the sky and going completely still. In a shimmer of prismatic light, the skull facades, golden 'W's, and purple paint were whisked away from the Empire State Building, returning it to its straight white walls of granite.

"…Was Lotos quoting the Wicked Witch of the West as his final words?" Roll asked in disbelief as the green cloud broke up above them, revealing the sun. "Well, that was unsatisfying ending—whoa!"

In another shimmer of light, Roll and Mega Man both transformed back to their original states before meeting Lotos, and immediately began to fall, shouting in surprise.

But before they hit the ground, there was a sparkle of broken glass as something red streaked out of the top story of the Empire State Building and intercepted them.

"That-a-boy, Rush!" cheered Mega Man as Rush carried them to street level.

"We're all back to normal!" cried Roll, hugging Mega Man tightly. "Sorry about what happened back there."

"For what, accidentally turning yourself into _me?_ " Mega Man asked wryly as they hopped off Rush's jetboard.

"No, I would have adjusted to that eventually," Roll said confidently. "But I would have always felt guilty if you had been stuck as a robo-canine like Rush!"

Mega Man smiled and crouched down to scratch Rush's ears. "Thanks Rush. Today has given me a new appreciation of just how much you do for us."

Rush barked happily and wagged his tail as Mega Man scratched his ears.

"Thank goodness the city is safe again!" said Dr. Light, hurrying over to them with Dr. Ramu. Onlookers were looking around at the skyscrapers, blinking as though not sure what was real.

Dr. Ramu waved at Mega Man and Roll but did not stop, his homing device in hand. "Please, get Lotos's chest! I must get to Gravity Man before Dr. Wily takes him away again!"

He took off toward a set of stairs inside the Empire State Building's lobby. Mega Man turned back to Dr. Light, Roll, and Rush.

"The chest will be with Wily. Lead the way, Rush!"

* * *

Dr. Wily's throne room returned to being the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Tower viewers and tourists with cameras were popping into existence all around them. The tourists looked extremely confused, then took one look at Dr. Wily and the Robot Masters before fleeing toward the emergency exit.

"Let us go, you imbeciles!" Dr. Wily growled at Cut Man, who was holding him up by his lapels, a _Rolling Cutter_ just under his chin. Guts Man had been restraining Proto Man.

Guts Man and Cut Man released them instantly and hastily withdrew, as though not sure what had come over them.

"Yes Dr. Wily…" Cut Man said meekly.

"Sorry Dr. Wily…." put in Guts Man, shuffling his feet.

Proto Man felt a sudden searing pain in his shoulder and leg. He staggered backward, leaning against a steel column for support. "Ahhhh…back to the way it was before…" he murmured, clutching his shoulder. Still, he couldn't be anything but relieved to be rid of Lotos. He shot Dr. Wily an annoyed look. "A lot of things happened today that I did not understand, will not ask questions about, and will never bring up again. I am definitely planning on forgetting about all of this as soon as possible. Your next plan for world domination better not be as weird as this one was."

Dr. Wily wasn't paying him the slightest bit of attention. "What? It can't be! Mega Man defeated Lotos?" he demanded in disbelief. "But I have the golden chest! It's power still belongs to me! Lotos? _Lotos!_ I order you to help me!" He began shaking the chest like a wrapped birthday present. But the chest wouldn't budge, and Dr. Wily couldn't open it, as though its grooves had completely sealed up. "Why doesn't he listen to his master? There must be some way to still use his power!"

"Don't bet on it, Wily!"

Mega Man stormed out of an observation deck's elevator, followed close behind by Roll, Dr. Light, and Rush.

"It's over Dr. Wily. Give up Lotos's chest now," said Dr. Light. "He can no longer help you with your foul desires and utter abuse of power."

Dr. Wily looked taken aback at their timely and unwelcome appearance, but he recovered quickly, leering toothily at Dr. Light. "Like you're really any better, Tom. If you had such power, you'd use it yourself. Sure, you'd say you'd use it for good and the betterment of mankind, but it's all the same. You'd even go so far as to force Proto, your own creation, to be your servant again!"

Both Mega Man and Roll hissed angrily at these accusations, but Dr. Light only gave Dr. Wily a hard, disappointed look.

"My desires are not so wicked. Proto was never my servant, nor would I ever force him to be." Dr. Light's gazed roved over to Proto Man. "My only wish is he had never left to join you."

Proto Man scowled defiantly at Dr. Light, his arm dropping away from his damaged shoulder to curl into a fist at his side.

Then, to everyone's surprise, a voice came from the chest in Dr. Wily's hands.

"Hmm, big one. Requires a time reset. Alright, but this is the last one~"

Lotos had been faking his imprisonment all along.

Proto Man started. "What? No—" Alarmed, he took a step toward the chest.

The stone eye on the chest flashed with searing light, forcing them all to flinch involuntarily. Then the chest exploded into a wave of purple energy, passing through Proto Man like a sudden gust of wind.

Proto Man doubled over, clutching his head with his good arm. "Uggh…"

"Proto—" called Dr. Light, rushing up to his side.

But before he could reach him, Proto Man dissolved into a shower of violet sparks which winked out like sparklers. Dr. Light stared at the spot he had just been, his hand still outstretched, looking completely horrified.

"What happened? Where did he go?" hissed Dr. Wily, his face white.

"I don't know, but I think we're next," said Mega Man grimly, for the wave of purple energy was surrounding the room like a hurricane, engulfing them—

They all staggered as though hit with the same headache. Mega Man felt faintly dizzy and disoriented. It was getting hard to think, to remember where he was…

Then, one by one, they all vanished in a spray of violet sparks.

* * *

Proto opened his eyes groggily.

The digital alarm clock on his nightstand read 11:34 a.m. He considered rolling over and going back to sleep when he sat bolt upright, blanket falling off.

Something was wrong.

He scanned his room on the second floor of Dr. Light's laboratory. Bright light streamed through the window, nearly blinding him. It had been left open when he had snuck back in after midnight, the warm June breeze fluttering the curtains. In the corner of the room stood an open closet where armor would usually be stored, but instead, it was open and empty, his gray titanium skin draped over a desk chair with his scarf over top, helmet on the corner, and boots and gauntlets lying on a heap on the floor.

…Everything _seemed_ normal.

Proto's mind felt fuzzy, like it had been taken out, mashed into fluff, then stuffed back inside like pillow stuffing. He was trying to remember the dream he had been having just before waking up—but it was impossible. Giving it up, he got up, dressed in jeans and t-shirt, and headed downstairs.

Dr. Light was sitting at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee and a journal of notes while he waited for his pastrami and swiss sandwich to toast in the oven.

"Good morning, Proto," said Dr. Light brightly after consulting his watch. "Up late flying again?"

Proto hesitated at he door way, feeling cornered. "Yeah, just to the Appellations and back. It was a good night for it, nice and clear with the full moon," he said, hoping Dr. Light would not press for details or drag this small talk out in any other way.

"I bet it was," said Dr. Light, then added lightly, "Though you should be closer in case Wily attacks."

It was far from a reprimand, but Proto bristled anyway. "I know, I know."

Dr. Light gave him a closer look over his coffee mug. "…Is everything alright?"

"Yeah."

This wasn't quite true, for a feeling of stifled panic was churning at the back of Proto's mind…though he couldn't pinpoint why, nor explain it out loud.

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Dunno, I had a really weird dream last night."

"Strange. I thought I must have had one too when I woke up, for I had quite a headache," said Dr. Light, frowning. "And now I can't really remember it."

"Neither can I."

Something smacked Proto on the back of the head.

"What's up, loser. Heard you came home late _again,_ " jeered Roll, sauntering past him.

"The only way you know that is because you were sneaking home at the same time," Proto answered innocently, welcoming her interruption.

"Shut up, you're such an asshole!"

"Roll, don't call your brother rude names," Dr. Light broke in sternly.

"Yeah, it'll hurt my feelings," chimed in Proto said, giving Roll a wounded look. Roll smacked him again and stuck her tongue out as Proto ducked away, snickering.

Dr. Light looked like he wanted to disapprove of this behavior, but a smile was tugging at his lips as he watched Proto and Roll tease each other in the manner of close siblings.

A familiar beeping began issuing from the laboratory.

"That time already?" said Proto melodramatically as Roll rushed eagerly to the Emergency Satellite Scanner.

"Yup!" Roll called back. "Looks like those slime-buckets are at it again—Dr. Wily and Mega Man are attacking the airport!

**_To be continued…_ **


	22. Master of Disaster, Part 3

__  


_"_ _Hi, my name is Rock. Who are you?"_

_"_ _I'm Dr. Light. I built you."_

_"_ _Does that make you my father?"_

_Dr. Light and Proto looked at other, chuckling nervously._

_"_ _In a sense I am—and this is your older brother."_

_Dr. Light gave Proto a small push toward Rock._

_"_ _Uh…hi, Rock…I'm Proto."_

* * *

Roll and Proto raced through the sky in their skycycles, Proto's scarf and Roll's ponytail whipping over their shoulders as the airport grew on the horizon.

"Haven't they tried this before?" Proto called to Roll over the roar of the jet engines.

"I don't…think so…" Roll called back, shrugging. "They've been at it for two years, it's all blurring together."

 _Two years…_ "Hey, did you have a really weird dream last night?"

"Maybe. I don't really remember it though."

"I had one, and it's driving me nuts. I can't remember mine either, yet I can't stop thinking about it."

Roll's eyes scanned him critically. "…Are you okay? You seem…tense."

"I'll be alright," Proto said quickly. "Now…time for a little fun with the Bad-bots."

* * *

"Take the airport, my powerful robots! Let nothing stand in your way!" Dr. Wily crowed from the Skullker.

Beneath him, Cut Man, Guts Man, Ice Man, Bomb Man, Fire Man, and Elec Man fanned out toward Kennedy International Airport.

But before the Robot Masters had so much as begun to breech the airport's defenses, Proto and Roll stormed the scene. Proto copied Ice Man's power, and with it trapped Ice Man in a cube of ice. Roll's transformed her utility arm into her self-invented super blaster and shot at Fire Man.

"Not again!" Fire Man's disembodied head moaned as his limbs scattered in different directions. Roll aimed her blaster at Elec Man and was about to do the same to him when Proto stopped her short by darting up behind Elec Man _._ He copied _Thunder Beam,_ and after a brief flash of electricity, Elec Man crumpled to the ground, powered down.

"Easy, killer! They're just henchmen, you don't have to blow them all to bits," Proto called back to her.

Roll flashed him a wicked grin. "Alright, alright, I'll go easier on them," she promised. "You take care of Bomb Man, I'll sneak around the jumbo jets to take down Cut Man and Guts Man."

"Actually, those are just normal wide-body aircraft. Jumbo jets have double-decks."

She roller her eyes. "You know, sometimes you can be a real nerd."

As soon as Roll left to chase Cut Man and Guts Man across the tarmac with her utility arm's built in radial arm saw, Proto felt eyes upon him. Taking a steadying breath, Proto looked back at his brother.

The armor Dr. Wily had given Mega Man was a pale imitation of a true bomber robot. He wore gray titanium skin with titanium colored the sludgy teal of polluted ocean water, brass-colored cuffs around the wrists of his gauntlets, and strange gray pill-shaped protrusions on his helmet—two over his ears and one running along the top of his helmet. Like Proto, he wore his visor down, though his visor was a light blue, and you could see vague shapes of eyes underneath.

"Hey kiddo," Proto greeted softly.

"Don't call me 'kiddo'," Mega Man sneered back. He had his blaster drawn and aimed at Proto's chest.

Proto held his ground. "If we fight, you know I'm going to beat you."

"You won't always win, Proto Man. You're a fraud," growled Mega Man.

Then he fired, lavender energy bursting from his blaster. Proto dodged, his face setting in grim detachment as once again he'd have to take down Mega Man.

They battled fiercely along the airport terminal, stray blasts smashing windows and blackening the hulls of the surrounding airplanes.

"You're holding back," Mega Man snarled as he decimated a luggage trolly Proto had darted behind.

"Me? Never! You're just getting really good!" Proto said smoothly, firing a blast that knocked Mega Man into a pile of suitcases.

"Enough!" Mega Man bellowed springing back to his feet and shaking off several Hawaiian shirts. "Fight me, Proto Man! You're the _hero,_ now act like it!"

"The only part I like about being a hero is all the action with fighting Wily's robots," Proto answered seriously, holding his blaster aloft. "I don't really care about the rest. Hell, I'd even join Wily."

"No you wouldn't," Mega Man said shortly. He was hunched over, his face shadowed as he glared over at Proto.

"I'm serious, I'll join you right now."

"You're lying. This is just a trick to get me back on Dr. Light's side. You've done it before."

"…I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need your help."

Mega Man charged, but Proto was too quick. With a short tussle and three carefully aimed shots, Mega Man was lying spread eagled on the concrete, panting.

Proto knelt next to him. "C'mon, Rock. Let's go back to Dr. Light's lab."

"Don't call me Rock."

"Mega, then." Proto transformed his blaster back into a hand and held it out to Mega Man. Mega Man ignored him. Then, as Proto took a step closer, a sudden blast knocked him across the tarmac and through a brick hanger wall—Dr. Wily had shot him with the Skullker's cannon.

Mega Man got up quickly, and without a backward glance at Proto, ran toward the Skullker, which had collected each of the Robot Masters. After Mega Man had safely boarded, the Skullker sped off into the periwinkle sky, becoming a flea-like spec before vanishing.

Proto climbed gingerly through the hole he had made in the hanger, shaking his head and dusting off his shoulders.

"Proto Man! Over here!" called a voice.

Proto glanced over, then was immediately dazzled by a series of flashing lights, as though a firework had gone off. A throng of reporters had gathered outside one of the airports barricades, their cameras clicking away madly.

Proto threw an arm in front of his face. "Um, wow, yeah…not now," he muttered before leaping onto a rooftop and quickly disappearing out of sight.

* * *

"They all got away, but we showed them!" Roll cheered back at Dr. Light's laboratory. "That had to be a new personal record for us. Dr. Wily didn't even get a chance to rant about his evil plan, I bet that drove him nuts!"

"Those reporters are really getting irritating," muttered Proto. He was sitting on the edge of a lab table, Met busy patching scratches in his armor, his helmet in his lap. "It's like having a group of leaches follow me around."

Roll just shrugged at this. "They only do that to you because you're 'the Titanium Troublemaker', a mysterious hero with a visor," she replied, quoting the press's favorite nickname for him. "If you just smiled, waved, and acted really nerdy and boring, they wouldn't even be interested."

"But it's not their business who I am, I don't wear the visor to be mysterious or because I want the attention."

"I know, I'm just saying," said Roll. You don't see them going after me like that."

"If they ever do I'll break every single camera in existence," uttered Proto fiercely.

One of the laboratory doors slid open as Dr. Light strode in. "Well done, both of you. I just received a phone call from the airport director, who was very pleased. The damage was minimal, and Wily wasn't able to steal much this time."

"Yeah, I don't even know why Wily bothers showing his ugly face anymore," said Roll enthusiastically. "No one can beat Proto and I!"

Dr. Light smiled ruefully. "I'm just glad you both came home safely and everything has returned to normal. Goodness knows we've had enough trouble from Wily. What did you think, Proto?"

"Eh, it was fine, same ol' same ol'," said Proto in a somewhat vague voice.

"Well, you did an excellent job defending the airport, and it is turning into a fine, sunny day. Why don't you two go out and enjoy it? Just don't wander too far," he added to Proto. "Please stay _within_ New York, and call if you are going to come home late."

"I know," Proto said shortly.

Dr. Light smiled proudly at them, then headed back toward his office. Met, finished with smoothing the last nick out of Proto Man's boot, bustled after him.

"Hey…you seem kinda down," Roll said to Proto in an undertone as they left. "I know the paparazzi can be annoying—"

"It's not that," said Proto. Pieces of the dream had had been flickering in his mind, like an old film projector. "Something's wrong with Mega Man."

Roll nodded sagely. "I know, he's a shithead."

"Don't call him that."

"Well he is!"

"He's not himself."

With a small sigh, Roll sat next to Proto on the lab table. "I know him better than you do. He's always been this way, even back before he joined Wily."

Proto blinked at Roll, confused.

"You always beat him at everything," Roll elaborated, apologetically. "Mega Man became jealous of living in your shadow. I think he always thought Dad liked you best, especially after you became the Red Bomber."

"That's not true…Dr. Light likes us all equally," Proto said quickly. "He shouldn't have been jealous!"

"I know, but he was. You can be kinda aloof, I think he thought you took Dr. Light for granted, which made him resent you even more. It was like you could do no wrong. I think it ate at him until, well…"

"…Did you ever feel that way?"

"No, I always thought you were kinda cool, even when you're being dorky," Roll admitted. She leaned back at her elbows, looking out one of the sunny oblong windows above. "Remember when Mega Man and Wily first attacked, and Dr. Light said I should stay home while you took care of it? You said that it was a family matter, and I should come too. You've always stuck up for me, Proto."

"Hey, I'll always have your back for as long as you need me," Proto promised earnestly. "But it doesn't make sense. Rock was never interested in crime or fighting—and then he becomes a criminal?"

"Like I said, he's a shit head. Why are you bringing this up again? …Are you _sure_ you're feeling alright?"

"I dunno. Everything seems backwards. Can't you feel it?"

"No, but then again, backwards is my normal. I've always had one brother who's a hero, one who's a creep—if you can even count Mega Man as our brother anymore."

"Of course he is!" chided Proto, frowning.

"I know you want to save him…but I don't think he wants to be saved, ya know?" Roll put in gently. She gave Proto's shoulder a playful punch. "He gets to you, and it's no wonder you're feeling off after all this time. We've been through some crazy stuff, like that time Wily shrunk us with a _shrink ray_."

Proto smiled at the recollection. "Yeah, I think I had more fun with that than you."

"Or when he used those creepy chambers to switch our minds with Cut Man and Guts Man."

"Both terrible actors. Or the time I pretended to be on Wily's side. Fun times," said Proto fondly. "Probably shouldn't have blown up that statue. Think I'm still technically on probation."

"Yes, you are," Roll said, her smile fading as she shot him a stern look. "You went overboard on that mission and you know it." She seemed to want to move Proto off memories of that particular plot. "But then there was that time Dr. Wily built a giant Robo-Mosquito to drain New York's water supply—or the Ice Age with the Robo-Mammoths he set loose from 'Prehistoric Park'—or when he made his bots produce a television show that hypnotized humans..."

"Yeah. Wait…what?"

Memories had begun marching around Proto's brain like a parade of chaos, everything running together in a jumble. For a moment, he experienced the sensation one has when realizing they are late for something important, that he shouldn't be here. Scratching his head, Proto got up from the lab table and took a few paces.

"Proto…you seem really distracted today," said Roll, her eyes following him closely. "I know Dad gets on your nerves sometimes…but maybe you should talk to him."

"I'm fine, really, I don't need to talk to Dr. Light."

"…How come you never call him Dad?" Roll asked with a raised eyebrow, standing up and folding her arms.

Proto turning back to face Roll. "Dunno…it's just weird, I guess." _Whoops, too honest,_ he mentally rebuked himself.

"But you call me your sister, and you're my brother, right?"

"Of course," said Proto instantly. Then, to put her at ease, he reluctantly added, "Alright, alright…I'll go talk to him."

* * *

"Worthless! All of you, worthless!"

Dr. Wily glared beadily at the Robot Masters gathered within the armory of Skull Fortress. "Six of you storm a simple airport, and all we return with is a week's worth of repairs, a single helicopter, and a crate of stale peanuts!"

"Sorry, Dr. Wily," mumbled Guts Man, shifting his concrete block-sized feet.

Dr. Wily sighed deeply, his mustache billowing, then patted Mega Man on the shoulder with a softened expression. "At least I still have you. You did well. Though you are still learning, you are so far superior to your lazy, spoiled, _arrogant_ brother. One day, you will destroy Proto Man. You _deserve_ to."

Dr. Wily swept out of the room, but Mega Man lingered behind. The Robot Masters shifted nervously. While they were used to Dr. Wily's harsh reprimands and threats to reprogram them into cleaning drones (threats that he instantly forgot about as soon as a new world domination scheme fired his imagination), what they truly dreaded was Mega Man's wrath when one of Dr. Wily's schemes ended poorly (as they always did).

Sure enough, Mega Man paced before them, like a feral dog looking to single out a sheep from its pack.

"Pathetic!" spat Mega Man, resuming Dr. Wily's admonition. His voice held true menace, and the fact that they could barely make out his eyes behind the visor was unsettling. "Some of you are supposed to be powerful Robot Masters, yet time after time you fail like shoddy mass-produced drones! Perhaps you do not appreciate what Dr. Wily has done for you by accepting you into his army, and what his vision of a world ruled by robots will do for you. _Perhaps_ we should have a tournament among you failures to weed out the weakest Robot Masters. We can't have another repeat of what happened at the airport, can we?"

"If you didn't focus so much on Proto Man, we may have had a chance," spoke up Elec Man.

Mega Man stopped pacing, and turned slowly toward Elec Man, his voice lowering into a deadly whisper. "…Excuse me?"

The Robot Masters backed away from Elec Man.

Elec Man did not repeat himself, but his eyes narrowed haughtily at Mega Man.

Without warning, Mega Man's hand shot out, grabbed Elec Man by the neck, and lifted him off the floor.

"Show some respect! I know what you really are, and I only keep you around because you are somewhat smart, you scummy gangster bot," hissed Mega Man through clenched teeth. "You always think you know better…but it would be well within my right to throw you into the scrap metal compactor."

"Then do it," choked Elec Man insolently.

The Robot Masters circled around them watched with muted horror. Dr. Wily was up in his laboratory, too far away to call Mega Man off, and Mega Man always hated when Elec Man questioned orders.

Trembling slightly, Top Man stepped forward.

"Hey, you know we know you're in charge, Mega Man," he said in a soft, reasonable voice. "Elec Man knows you're in charge too, he was just looking out for the best of Dr. Wily's plans, that's all. Maybe—maybe put him down, okay?"

Mega Man stared at Top Man for a moment, then, abruptly, dropped Elec Man to the floor, shaking his head as though coming out of a spell.

"I, uh…sorry," he said distractedly. They could see the shadowy shapes of his eyes blinking in confusion.

Top Man gave Elec Man a fleeting smile, but Elec Man pointedly looked another way as he stalked off toward his office.

Mega Man looked around, and noticed all of the Robot Masters were still watching him. Hating to be caught in a moment of weakness, he sneered at them. "Get back to work before I report you to Wily." Then he strode off up some stairs toward his personal quarters.

He had been in a temper ever since he had woken up with a bad headache and the memory of a strange dream dying in his mind. The black pearl had been in this dream. If only he could remember the dream, he'd remember where it was!

The pearl had been in Mega Man's grasp, once, but Proto Man had managed to take it back while they fought in the river. The memory still filled him with rage.

Mega Man wasn't sure why he was thinking so much about the pearl as he was not attracted to valuables. Still, it filled his every thought, especially at night when he was dreaming. A longing for it gnawed constantly at him, driving him mad.

He _needed_ it… _but where was it?_

A thought came to him, like a memory drifting from a past life—Chief Fictus had told the Lights that it was being guarded at Citadel Headquarters. How did Mega Man know that? It didn't matter. It was just important to get that pearl, for with it, he would finally defeat Proto Man once and for all.

* * *

Proto felt like his head was filled with spider webs, obscuring what he ought to know. Sometimes he had sharp realizations about the dream, only to lose them a second later. If this kept up for long, he might lose his mind.

He had half a mind to break his promise with Roll and not talk to Dr. Light at all. Proto hated showing insecurity and self-doubt toward Dr. Light. But, though he knew Roll would eventually drop the subject, he didn't want her to worry or think he was cowardly. That wouldn't be good big brother behavior. So, despite his reservations, he knocked on Dr. Light's office door and entered.

"Hey, uh…can I talk to you?" he asked reluctantly, shutting the door behind him.

Dr. Light looked over his computer, smiling warmly. "Of course. …Is something the matter?" He added, looking up.

"Uh…" Proto hesitated, already hating everything about this conversation. He ran his hand along the back of the chair in front of Dr. Light's desk, but did not sit down. "Remember how I said I had a dream last night? It's been kinda bothering me all day."

"I see. What was your dream about?"

"I…can't remember," Proto admitted, feeling foolish. "It was long and complicated. I think Mega Man was a good guy. He had armor just like mine, only his was blue."

"It sounds like a good dream," said Dr. Light, sighing. "Proto, may I ask if you have been thinking lately about why your brother left?"

"Yeah, I guess I have been thinking about that," said Proto. He wouldn't meet Dr. Light's eyes, and instead was looking down at the drafting tools, stacks of paper work, and office organizers on his desktop. "I just don't understand it…why would he would leave his family?"

"I can't make sense of why he left either. He won't talk to me, he acts like a stranger."

"Roll says it was because he was jealous of me," Proto blurted out, his voice breaking slightly. "If it hadn't been for me…"

At this, Dr. Light stood up, walked around his desk, and squeezed Proto's shoulder. "Proto, this isn't you fault. It's mine. If he was unhappy, I should have realized it."

A warm breezed drifted in from the window. Proto's fist clenched. Part of him felt like it would be easy to blame Dr. Light for all of this. But another, fairer part felt like this was something beyond their control, so he remained silent.

Dr. Light's eyes were fixed on Proto's face. "You will keep an eye on Roll? She was really close to Rock…"

"Yes," Proto responded dully, feeling irked."We're all close to Rock—And she's close to me too," he added in a stiffer voice then he meant.

Dr. Light nodded gratefully. "Be careful out there, son. I'm very proud of you."

"…Thanks." Not feeling like he deserved or wanted this, Proto put a hand on the door handle.

"And Proto…" Dr. Light called, stopping him. "I know this has been hard on you. Back when you first told me you wanted to fight crime…I know this isn't the future you would have wished for."

Proto paused, a smile creeping onto his face. It was the fist time he and Dr. Light had connected over something. "Yeah…funny how that worked out, huh?"

Then Proto left Dr. Light's office, unsure if anything had been resolved at all.

* * *

It had been easy to get inside Citadel, almost as if he had been let in. All the security systems were offline. Mega Man could feel the pearl calling out to him, like a shadowy hand beckoning.

In something like a daze, he prowled through the dark, empty office, a starry sky with a waning moon projected on the ceiling overhead. Within seconds he found the hidden safe, and inside—

Mega Man's pulsar pulse began to pound maddeningly in his ears as he lifted the pearl from its clawed golden pedestal. Its smooth surface felt cool to the touch. There was something trapped inside. Gazing into it, Mega Man thought he spotted a purple flame, flickering in the depths like the glimmer of an amethyst at the bottom of a long dark hole. But how could he get it? If it would just _come_ to him—

He leaned in for a closer look, then suddenly the pearl burned his hands.

"Ahhh!" he hissed, dropping the pearl, which landed with a heavy plonk like a dumbbell. Angry, he picked up the pearl again. It felt strangely lighter, and looking at it was no longer like looking down a dark hole, but into an oversized marble reflecting back his distorted face.

Mega Man pitched the pearl back into the safe in frustration. Then he froze. A faint fluttering sensation was burning in his chest, warm and hot like a candle flame, and a small part of him in the back of his mind was beginning to stir.

_What had he just done?_

But Mega Man ignored this waking thought. Now he had _power_. Now he could take Proto Man down once and for all.

* * *

It was only late afternoon, the sun still high in the sky, when the Emergency Satellite Scanner received another call, interrupting a sparring session Roll and Proto had been having out in the yard.

"This is the second time Mega's attacked Los Angeles this month…why'd he go back there?" Proto wondered aloud as they climbed into the cockpit of a two-person jet.

"Who cares, he's probably throwing a tantrum after what happened at the airport," answered Roll without much interest. "Though the California State Police did report he had broke into Citadel Headquarters just before he began attacking. They have no idea how he did it, supposedly the security there is tighter than anything else in the state. Now Mega Man's claiming to have a new power, and he won't stop the destruction until _you_ show up. You know, the usual balogna for him."

They jetted toward Los Angeles, Proto Man flying at speeds that made the distant patches of farmland race beneath them, the sun ahead of them.

The scene that greeted them was not pretty. The part of the city that Mega Man was attacking had been evacuated, and had already been partially destroyed, the bodies of robo-officers strewn everwhere.

"Yeesh, what a mess!" Roll commented, her nose scrunching up as they landed on the battle torn lawn of a small park. The surrounding buildings had smashed windows or large gaping holes in their walls. "C'mon, let's trash the overgrown idiot."

They followed the sounds of destruction until they found Mega Man racing through the streets ahead of them, projecting violet energy from his blaster like a sword as he cut down the foundations of buildings, which collapsed into the street. Mega Man stopped short as he saw them, smirking broadly.

"Oh, so you finally showed up," he taunted with a cold laugh as the buildings crashed into the street behind him.

"Aw, you did all this just to get my attention?" retorted Proto, pretending to be flattered. "But you know you don't have to go through all this trouble just to hang out with me. Next time just try calling."

"Shut up. I don't want to 'hang out', I want to destroy you, Proto Man!"

"That's never going to happen, buddy! And you don't want to fight us, we're your family!"

Mega Man scoffed, light flashing along his blue visor. "Like you know me. You barely know yourself, _hero_."

A chill ran down the back of Proto's neck. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just give it a rest, Proto!" Roll hissed at him, exasperated. "It's obvious this jerk is never coming back to our side. Don't play mind games with him."

Mega Man overheard Roll and became outraged. " _I'm_ playing mind games? Proto Man's the real master manipulator here! Pretending to care about any of _us_ when he only cares about himself—someday you'll show your true colors, _Proto Man,_ and the world will see you for the apathetic creep you are."

Roll's eyes sparked dangerously. "I've had enough of you! You're going down, Mega Jerk!" she shouted, leaping forward with a circular saw drawn from her utility arm.

Now that the battle had started, Proto had no choice but to join in the attack. Yet though both Proto and Roll were firing constantly at Mega Man, nothing seemed to hurt him. Mega Man even deflected a few of Roll's circular saws with his arms as though they were frisbees.

"Did I forget to mention that I've picked up a few new powers since we last met?" Mega Man asked innocently. "Now it's my turn. Just try to survive."

Mega Man's face had gone strangely blank. Behind the visor, they saw his eyes flash with bright light. Golden lines began to draw across his armor, like geometric veins of light, and tongues of purple flame wreathed his form, as though his armor had caught on fire. Then, raising an arm, the purple flame shot forward like an inferno down the street toward Proto and Roll, completely evaporating the palm trees that had been planted in the median.

Both Proto and Roll attempted to scramble out of the way, but the energy beam was too large. It grazed Proto, scorching the side of his armor and sapping his energy down to three bars, while Roll was hit full on and flung like a rag doll into the ruins of a thick brick wall, which promptly collapsed on her like a stack of toy blocks.

The attack ended, and Mega Man staggered backward. He was shaking his head violently as though trying to clear it. Though his eyes had stopped glowing and the flames had died, the lines on his armor remained, shimmering dully in the bright sunlight. Mega Man looked down at his armor, his mouth parting in shock, confusion, and regret. Then he looked over at Roll, who was stirring slightly and cursing angrily. "Holy shit…"

Noticing Mega Man had become distracted, Proto seized the opportunity to once again try to get through to him. "Rock, this new power is doing something to you, something _bad,"_ he said in his most serious brotherly voice. "I don't know what, but…this isn't like you. Please stop before this gets worse."

To his surprise and relief, Mega Man responded in a somewhat different voice, devoid of the cold cruelty he had previously been speaking with. "You're right. I-I'm not sure I can control myself." Mega Man put a hand to his helmet, retracting his visor and revealing his blue eyes, which were determined, yet alarmed. It was the first time Proto had seen them since he had become Mega Man. "Stay away. I know you're going to try copying my power to neutralize me, but if won't work, you'll only hurt yourself."

"It's going to be okay, Rock, we're here to help," said Proto, not bothering to refute Mega Man's claim. Roll had clambered out of the pile of broken bricks and was gaping at Mega Man's un-visored face, for once seeming lost for action. "Just stay still. I'm coming."

But as soon as Proto stepped forward, a smooth black hole, perfectly round as though carved by a laser, had opened underneath him. Mega Man dropped through it, and it closed over him, immediately silencing his shout of alarm.

Proto rushed to the spot, but the time-worn pavement was as solid and smooth as if nothing extraordinary had ever happened to it at all. Then he blasted a hole right through the concrete and into the mucky sewer below, but Mega Man was not there either.

"Shit!" Proto shouted. "Where'd he go?"

"Back to Skull Fortress?" guessed Roll hopefully, but she didn't sound very confident.

Proto shook his head. "Something freaky is going on…I think we better get a closer look at what Mega Man stole."

* * *

"Well, this is the place Mega Man broke into—Citadel Headquarters, top floor—the office of a 'Dr. Cossack,'" muttered Proto as he and Roll craned their necks up at tall skyscraper, modern and elegant in an austere way, and looking like a brilliant lantern with all of its windows flashing in the afternoon sunlight. The front doors were currently crisscrossed with yellow police tape, and a swarm of robo-officers were patrolling the streets, their rotary arm cannons held aloft.

"Do you think Dr. Cossack is related to _Kali Cossack?"_ asked Roll whispered excitedly.

"Who?"

"Kali Cossack? The famous teenage socialite from California? C'mon, don't you watch T.V?"

"Nope." Proto flagged own one of the robo-officers. "Excuse me, officer? Hi, I'm Proto Man and this is Roll from New York. Do you think we could take a look at the crime scene?"

The robo-officer rotated its solemn mouthless head toward Proto, but before it could reply, Fictus, Chief of the California Police strode up to them, his aged face grim as a bulldog's.

"What is the meaning of this? Why are you distracting my robo-officers?"

"Hey Chief Fictus," said Proto smoothly. "Any leads on what Mega Man steal from here? We were hoping to go up and take a look ourselves."

"Absolutely not. Let the real police do their work. You're still on probation from your stunt in Washington D.C., as you would do well to respect."

"C'mon, I'm the 'Titanium Troublemaker!'" said Proto, smiling in a cajoling way. "That stuff with Wily was all smoothed out. Just let us do a little search, I promise we won't be in the way at all."

Fictus scowled. "No you may not search, it's private property."

"…Can we get permission from Dr. Cossack?"

Fictus gave him a hard look. "Dr. Cossack's has been missing since yesterday morning."

"Oh, uh…sorry to hear that," said Proto awkwardly. "Look, I bet Dr. Cossack wouldn't mind if we just took a look around if it'd help us stop Wily."

But Fictus wouldn't budge. "I'm sure he would mind and you have no idea who you are dealing with. The situation has been very distressing for his family, and I will personally see to it that you are prosecuted to the full extent of the law if you trespass, Proto Man."

Proto noticed the black eyes of the robo-officers were flickering toward them as though detecting a potential threat.

Roll tugged at Proto's arm. "C'mon, Proto…If the police didn't find anything, we won't either."

"Yeah, alright, let's go back to the lab."

But as they turned to walk away, Proto Man glanced back at the skyscraper. Mega Man had broken into the hundredth floor.

Proto would be back…but he needed help to get in.

* * *

Elec Man was working at his computer in his office. His mood was dark, his thoughts preoccupied with Dr. Wily's stupid and repetitive schemes, yet far worse was Mega Man's unhinged and violent nature coupled with his absolute devotion to Dr. Wily's cause.

A fuzzy prickling sensation filled Elec Man's head, as though his helmet had become full of butterflies. He rubbed his temples, momentarily disoriented as thoughts of Dr. Wily and Mega Man vanished. Then, realizing what was happening, he looked up from his computer and jumped—Proto Man was leaning against the office's doorway.

"Hi…sorry I had to sneak up on you like that again, I just didn't feel like getting my circuits fried by a _Thunder Beam_ today," said Proto offhandedly, dropping the arm holding the Reprogramming Raygun.

Though it was well past the point, Elec Man couldn't help but glance down at Skull Fortress's defense systems on his computer, which had failed to detect an intruder. "But how…?"

Proto shrugged. "I snuck in. It's like I've been here millions of times before. Then I stole the Reprogramming Raygun out of Wily's labcoat pocket without him noticing."

Looking back up at Proto, Elec Man nodded soberly. "You've come to stop Wily once and for all."

"Uh…" Proto fiddled absentmindedly with the Reprogramming Raygun, scuffing a boot against the floor. "Not now, I came here to recruit _you_ for a secret mission."

Elec Man blinked. "…Why me?"

Proto was checking outside to make sure there were no other Robot Masters within earshot to overheard their voices. "Because I need a partner on something illegal that I know Roll would not be cool with. You're an expert at sneaking into highly secure corporate offices without drawing attention, right?"

"…Yes," Elec Man replied slowly, looking even more confused.

An awkward pause lapsed. Proto looked down at the floor again and sighed. "Look, it's been a strange day. Everything feels wrong, I don't know what to do, but I had this feeling you could help—I know you probably hate the idea of working for one of the good guys when you could be working for Wily—"

"I'd rather work for you than Wily," Elec Man broke in hastily, getting up from his chair. Then he hesitated. "But, since I'm programmed to obey you now, there's something you should know—"

"It's okay! I know you used to be a gangster," Proto cut him off.

At this, Elec Man brows furrowed incredulously. "How do you know that?"

"Because…back before I became the Red Bomber, I used to work for Wily," Proto said softly. It was a deep, dark secret that he hadn't even told Roll yet. "We crossed paths a few times. Long story. Just so you know…if you work for me full time, I can't ever let you go back to your creator. It's not like crime lords are nice reserved nerds or anything, he's a rotten bastard who belongs in prison as much as Wily does. But I won't hold it against you. Maybe you can work at Dr. Light's as a lab assistant and side kick against Wily…sound good?"

"That's more than fair, Dr. Light is phenomenal scientist," Elec Man said quietly.

"Wait until you've worked for him for a few months, you might change your mind."

It was an honest yet blunt remark Proto had said without thinking. He sensed Elec Man had high standards, and a part of him was self-conscious about the boring lifestyle at Dr. Light's laboratory. Proto wanted to get ahead of any potential false expectations right away.

Elec Man frowned, but did not challenge Proto's opinion. He looked nervous. "…Will you go after my creator?"

"Nah, everything but Wily related crimes is officially out of my jurisdiction since I helped attack Washington D.C. C'mon, we don't have much time."

* * *

They snuck out of Skull Fortress, climbing into the jet Proto had brought with him, and Proto piloted them southwest, explaining what they were about to do along the way.

"You're throwing two years of public service down the drain if we get caught," Elec Man warned as the nighttime Los Angeles skyline twinkled ahead of them.

"Eh…the public loves me—I'll probably get away with it," replied Proto without concern.

"May I ask _why_ you are you doing this?"

"Sure, but gotta warn you…it'll sound kinda crazy."

"I worked for Wily, try me."

Proto sighed as he dipped the nose of the jet downward for the descent. "I've been having flashes of memory—or maybe it's more like feelings—of another life…I think we're trapped in an alternate reality where Mega Man works for Wily, when really he's a hero."

"Okay, I wasn't expecting that…"

"Why not? You don't seriously see Mega Man as a criminal, do you?" Proto cracked a smile. "He's as dweeby as Wily is incompetent and dramatic."

Elec Man frowned. "Wily may be incompetent…but Mega Man is a controlling monster with a short temper," he said quietly.

Proto's smile faltered at this. "Well, I said it'd sound crazy. Mega Man stole something from here, and I want to know _what._ I think it'll help me find him."

"…You must really like him."

"If you had a brother you'd understand," said Proto simply, his smile returning.

"I doubt it," Elec Man muttered coldy, almost as if to himself. "Did you really work for Wily once?" he added with a note of scathing in his voice.

"'Fraid so!"

"Hmph, I would have thought you were smarter than that. Still, things would have been better with you around rather than Mega Man."

"…Is Mega really all that bad?"

"Yes. The only ones at Skull Fortress who don't hate him are Dr. Wily, Top Man, and Wood Man, but they are all idiots."

Proto found a secure place to land, then together he and Elec Man darted through the city, past the police, then into Citadel headquarters.

At first, Proto had wondered how well Elec Man would _really_ tolerate working for him. Proto was used to teaming with Roll who was spontaneous, unorthadox, and carefree much like himself, while Elec Man was methodical, efficient, and no non-sense. But despite these perceived obstacles, Proto found working with Elec Man equally easy and comfortable as working with Roll, if different.

Though the security systems at Citadel were fully armed and the thread of the robo-officers just seconds away loomed over their head, Elec Man had no trouble navigating through various security checkpoints and evading security cameras, which Elec Man had a knack for disabling. Finally, they reached a brightly lit hallway with snow white halls. Elec Man fried the security cameras on the ceiling as they crossed through, concealing with difficulty their echoing footsteps as they hurried along.

"Now what?" asked Proto as they stopped short at a locked automatic door at the end.

Elec Man frowned at the door, thinking. He reached out a hand to touch it, then to both of their surprise, the door slid silently open.

Proto was extremely impressed. "Whoa, how'd you do that?"

"I didn't do anything," answered Elec Man, looking slightly perturbed.

Beyond the door lay a circular room, completely deserted, and lit primarily by the evening glow of the moonlit ocean outside a vast window.

"Cool office…kinda like a design studio, or a super villain lair," said Proto, turning on the spot as he admired the domed ceiling speckled with projected stars.

Elec Man hesitated at the threshold, rubbing his arms. "What did you say happened to the scientist who works here?"

"Dr. Cossack? Disappeared." Proto crossed over to one of the walls where a series of charcoal drawings on paper the size of posters had been hung. "These are cool sketches." He leaned forward for a closer look. "Huh. This one sorta looks like Rock with glasses. And this one looks a bit like you!"

Elec Man averted his eyes from the sketches. "We shouldn't be here."

Proto turned around. "Alright, alright…we'll hurry up. We know Mega Man stole something from here…" Proto looked around, spotting the open safe, and inside— "The black pearl? But why didn't he take it with him? This doesn't make sense!"

Elec Man had approached a desk in the center of the room, all of its supplies organized in straight lines as though laid out on an invisible grid. "It looks like Dr. Cossack was analyzing it before he disappeared—his research is probably stored on his personal computer."

"Can you get it?"

"Yes." Elec Man sat down at the desk hesitantly, running his hands down the elegant arm rests of the carved wooden chair. He looked something like a nervous child who had snuck into a flight deck and was sitting down in the captain's seat.

It was then that Proto noticed Elec Man had been acting strangely. "…You alright?"

"Dunno. Remember when you said you were struggling with lost memories of another life? That's what I'm feeling here in this office."

"You think you've been here before?"

"Not exactly…"

Elec Man was not one to show strong emotions, yet he had the distinctly distressed look of someone who had just realized a big incriminating secret that he might be forced to divulge at any second by powers beyond his control…powers such as being reprogrammed.

Now that Proto thought of it, he was beginning to experience foggy impressions of his other life again, as though he _had_ been in this office before, and had even met the owner…recently. His mind was clouding with complicated and confused thoughts, and he became aware that Elec Man was watching him closely.

"My jurisdiction is Wily," he repeated firmly, brushing away the unpleasant headache his other life had just conjured up. "Just focus on getting the research on the black pearl."

They lapsed into tense silence, broken with only the sight pattering noise of Elec Man's rapid typing. Proto, extremely anxious about Mega Man and not wishing to find out anything further about the office, leaned against the window to watch the distant ocean waves.

Then Elec Man stopped typing for a moment, and they both froze, listening.

"Someone's coming!" Elec Man whispered.

"Keep going, I'll fight them off!" Proto hissed back. He drew a blaster and stood with his back to the wall next to the office door, bracing himself to shoot whoever came inside, even if was a police officer—

Roll came barreling through the door.

Proto quickly lowered his blaster. "Roll! What are you doing here?"

Roll jumped guiltily, whirling to face him. "I could say the same of you!"

"I wanted to investigate what Mega Man stole."

"Well…I had the same idea! I swiped a Citadel keycard from the chief of police." Her eyes narrowed as her gaze slid over to Elec Man, who had gone back to hacking into Dr. Cossack's computer. "Why are you with _him?_ He's one of the Bad Bots!"

"Not anymore. I reprogrammed him to help me break in. Look, it's not like I didn't want you here or I didn't trust you," Proto put in hurriedly, for Roll was looking angry and hurt. "It's because you want a career in law enforcement…and stealing from the chief of police and breaking and trespassing won't look good."

Roll hit him on the shoulder, hard. "At least my record is clean! I don't want _you_ to become a crook either. You don't want to turn out like that creep!" she said, jerking a thumb back at Elec Man (Elec Man rolled his eyes). "We always do things together," she added in a lower voice. "Why do things feel…different?"

"I…I don't know…" said Proto honestly.

They stared at each other for a moment in silence.

"We should have asked Dad for help," Roll said. It was a step both of them had neglected to do, as they had both independently decided to break illegally into Citadel. "He may have known what to do."

"…."

"Proto!"

"Uh…" Proto looked around for something to divert the conversation. "Elec Man, how are you doing over there?"

"If you two would be more quiet, it would be immensely helpful."

Roll scowled at Proto. "He is such an ass, seriously _why_? First Mega Man, now _him…_ "

"Actually, Elec Man's been really helpful!" Proto said defensively.

"Found what you're looking for," Elec Man announced, breaking up what looked like was going to turn into a heated debate. "…But you're not going to believe it."

Proto and Roll crowded around Elec Man, who had a research brief opened on the screen.

"…Aliens?" murmured Proto as he scanned the contents.

Elec Man nodded. "Dr. Cossack believed that the pearl recovered from the South Pacific contained dangerous parasitic alien energy."

"Remember the coordinates where the pearl was recovered, Proto? That's where the island with the statues was!" said Roll excitedly. "I told you the 'Great One' was an alien!"

But Proto wasn't interested in that part of the report. He frowned at the computer. "What did Dr. Cossack mean by 'parasitic alien energy'…does that mean Mega Man's become its _host?"_ he asked, alarmed. It would explain where his new powers had come from…

"Serves him right, thieving creep," said Roll simply, folding her arms.

"Roll, c'mon…" chided Proto. "Does it say anything about how to remove it?" he asked Elec Man.

"It doesn't look like it.'"

Proto became agitated at this news. "But Dr. C knew something, he was trying to tell me how to fight against stuff like this before he…before he…"

He trailed off. It was as if the memories were being forced into his head like air pumped into a balloon that was already stretched to bursting. Proto clutched the sides of his helmet, his processors heating up like coils on an electric stove.

"Proto? Proto?" Roll was shaking his shoulder as she pulled him away from the computer. Elec Man was frowning at him.

Completely disoriented, Proto shook his head, clearing away the memories and forcing himself to remember he had never met Dr. Cossack to keep his mind straight. "Sorry, I think my brain is trying to murder me for a sec," he said seriously.

An alert popped up on the computer with a soft ping. All three of their heads snapped toward it.

"Someone else is heading toward the office," muttered Elec Man.

"Again? Alright, time to go," sighed Proto.

Elec Man began shutting down the computer as Proto checked the office to make sure they left behind no signs of their visit.

"Uh…guys?" Roll called from the office door. "I have some bad news. This door locked itself, and Fictus's keycard is being rejected…"

"What?"

Both Proto and Elec Man hurried over to Roll, Elec Man stooping at the lock.

"I can't open the lock either," he pronounced after a moment.

"But it opened for you on the way in," said Proto.

Elec Man looked grim. "It appears it was designed to let someone like me in…but not out."

"…Then we're trapped?" asked Proto.

"Not for long," answered Roll.

They looked at each other.

"I'll hold them off, you and Elec Man run for it," volunteered Proto Man.

"No way, let's ditch Elec Man as bait while _we_ escape," countered Roll.

Before Proto had a chance to object to this plan, the sound of heels clicking sharply on tiles echoed in the hall outside, followed by a strong scent halfway between a honeysuckle orchard and a cupcake bakery. Roll and Proto looked at each other, slowly lowering their weapons as the office door swung instantly open for the new arrival.

"Kali Cossack?" exclaimed Roll as a teenager with curly blonde hair, a shocking pink dress, a beaded purse, and a black daisy hat marched imperiously inside, a spring blue robo-bird hovering closely behind. She nudged Proto. "She must be Dr. Cossack's daughter! Told you they could be related!"

Kali Cossack stopped short, the robo-bird crashing into her back. "Yes, who are you?" she demanded, her olive green eyes roving over Roll. "Cool outfit," she added. "Very grunge, like a rockstar from Seattle."

Roll, who hated fashion, seemed taken aback by this compliment from one of the world's top fashionistas. "Um…thank you?"

The robo-bird flapped his wings to regain height, then hovered over to Kali's ear. "That's Roll and Proto Man!"

"Who?"

"They're the heroes from New York City. …They've been on the news."

"Ew! I don't watch the news, Beat!" Kali's gaze moved from Roll to Proto, and her expression changed. "Oh, hi," she said, lowering her eyes bashfully. "So, you must be a super hero."

"Um…I guess?" answered Proto uncomfortably. Behind him, he noticed Elec Man was watching with rapt attention, his narrowed eyes darting between Proto and Kali. Beat, the robo-bird, looked apprehensively at Kali. "Sorry about breaking into your dad's office. We're investigating an earlier break in by Mega Man, but the police wouldn't let us in."

Kali didn't seem to mind at all, for she smiled radiantly at Proto, the sort of smile that frequently graced the front page of style magazines. "Oh I know. They keep telling me to just stay at home where it's safe. But I have been just crying my eyes out over my father's disappearance. Usually it's _me_ that's getting kidnapped, not him! Then I got an alert that someone had entered his office, and I thought maybe it was him…but I guess it's just you three."

Heels clicking across the polished floor, she walked over to the desk Elec Man was sitting at and and sat down on its edge, knocking over some of the office supplies. Wrinkling his nose, Elec Man began quickly re-organizing the scattered items back to into their neat configuration.

"Oh, don't fuss. Daddy doesn't mind," Kali said offhandedly, only sparing Elec Man half a glance. Beat, who had perched on Kali's shoulder, eyed Elec Man uncertainly. "So what was stolen? The police never said."

"We're pretty sure he was after this pearl," said Proto, pointing to the open safe.

Kali made a face. "Oh, that old thing? It's so _ugly._ Why would anyone want it?"

"It's worth a fortune," said Roll, raising her eyebrows.

"So?" said Kali, who obviously had several fortunes to spare.

Proto decided to move the conversation past this point. "According to files on your Dad's computer, there was something dangerous inside—and that _thing_ is now in Mega Man, who's disappeared."

"Just like my dad! Maybe there's a connection!" said Kali. "By the way, who's Mega Man? Is he like, another super hero, or something?"

Elec Man buried his face in his hands. Roll's eyebrows raised even further, and Beat looked chagrined.

"Uh, sure," said Proto, surprised Kali was not keeping up with current events. He wondered why she kept referring to them as 'super heroes' when the rest of the world usually called them 'super fighting robots,' and part of him was a little worried that Dr. Cossack's disappearance _was_ somehow connected to this whole business. "Uh, Kali, do you know _anything_ about what your dad was researching about this pearl before he disappeared?"

Kali giggled girlishly. "Like I know what my dad does," she said with a small shrug. "A lot of it is boring, technical, nerdy stuff. He doesn't even talk about half of it." Then she paused, looking him over carefully. "…But maybe I can take a look?"

Elec Man pulled the research brief back onto the screen than gave up the chair to Kali, his eyes still on Proto.

Kali sat down primly, Beat flapping his wings to keep his balance. "Okay, now everyone turn around and don't look!" she ordered. "Remember _you're not supposed to be here._ These files are confidential, after all. _"_

Shrugging at each other other, Roll and Proto turned around, Proto motioning for Elec Man to do the same.

As soon as their backs were turned, Kali dug into her purse for a pair of glasses with red rims shaped liked daisies. This was the real reason she had asked them to look away; she only needed the glasses when she was working on technical projects (like tinkering with a machine or analyzing code) and hated how she looked in them. Then she scanned through the breif, searching for encrypted files they'd overlooked (It wasn't like her highly secretive father to leave data around for just anyone to find). As soon as she had finished, she quickly whipped the glasses back into her purse. "Found something!" she sang joyfully.

She pushed a disc into Proto's hand as he turned around. "I downloaded the unique energy signature for whatever was in that pearl. If you hook it up to, I don't know, a _satellite scanner or something,_ you should find where he went in no time!"

"Really?" said Proto, genuinely amazed. "Thanks a lot, Kali!"

Kali smiled brightly, her eyes shining. "Of course! Anything to help you, Proto Man!"

Beat cast the ceiling a helpless glance. Roll repressed a smile. Elec Man, who up until this point had been getting along well with Proto, was now looking at him a though he'd like to impale him on a large spike and leave him to die a slow, painful death.

Proto gave an uncomfortable cough. "Say, we need one more favor," he broke out, glancing tentatively at Elec Man. "Could you open the office door? We're kinda trapped in here…seems like your dad installed some unusual anti-burgler technology."

"No problem." Kali pivoted toward the door. "Door! Open!" she shouted shrilly. Responding to her voice command, the door slid automatically open.

Both Roll and Proto grinned. "Thanks again," Proto said. He looked over at Roll. "We better split if we're going after Mega Man."

But Kali seemed reluctant for them to part just yet. "Wait a second, maybe I can help!" she said, shooting up so fast from the office chair that it scooted a foot backward. "I could learn to be a super hero too!"

Beat took flight and turned to face Kali. "Kali…what about your Dad?"

"Oh yeah," Kali mumbled, her face falling.

"Uh…" Proto glanced at Elec Man again (who was still looking murderous), and made a very hasty snap decision. "Stay with Kali and help her find her father. We may need his help after we find Mega Man. You take orders from her now, I'm transferring control."

Elec Man blinked, taken off guard, his face quizzical. Beckoning to Roll, Proto hurried toward the door.

"Good luck," he thought he heard Elec Man murmur as they passed.

"See ya 'round, Proto Man and Roll!" Kali called hopefully after them.

* * *

"I'm not sure if I did the right thing back there," muttered Proto to Roll as they took the elevator down.

"What, breaking and entering then leaving a human teenager alone with a dangerous robot criminal?"

"He won't hurt her," Proto replied confidently.

Roll snickered suddenly. "Boy, Kali Cossack really seemed to like you! Good thing too, we got off Scott free."

Proto grimaced. "Um…so what do I do about that?"

Roll knew instantly what he was talking about. "Dunno…when a bot comes on too hard and I'm not interested, I beat them up."

"…Yeah, I don't think I should do that to a human teenager."

"I wouldn't worry about it, she's just a kid with a crush; it's cute but not serious. I'm telling you, it's the visor. If you didn't wear it, no one would be interested in you at all."

The elevator had reached the bottom floor. Another thought occurred to Proto as the doors slid open. "You know…technically she has blackmail on us now."

Roll's face fell. "Oh, I didn't think of that. I don't think she'd blackmail us though. She seems cool. And even if it did come to that, you could always offer to be her date at her next gala or red carpet event," she added jokingly, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow.

Despite himself, Proto smiled. "Shut up."

* * *

Mega Man was trapped in a large, dark cave—vast, yet completely enclosed as far as he could tell, like a gigantic bubble buried deep within the earth, its floor smooth, cold, and hard.

He was beginning to wake up more and more, and recalled everything—growing up in Dr. Light's lab, teaming up with Roll, fighting Dr. Wily and Proto Man, the many bizarre entanglements with mad science, finding Lotos, Dr. Light's wish…he wasn't really on Dr. Wily's side, Lotos had implanted those fake memories in his head!

Thankfully, his armor had resumed its normal color alongside the return of his memories, but the strange runes remained. Mega Man ran a finger along the thin groves that had become etched upon his gauntlets. They were forming shapes in his head, like messages he couldn't completely understand, yet made his head hurt.

Tearing his concentration away from the symbols, he called into the darkness, "Where am I?"

Then, from a point forty-feet away from him, a single gigantic eye blinked opened, strange and pale like a smooth rock suspended in outer space.

"Lotos!"

A soft chuckle echoed in the cave. Though Mega Man knew it belonged to the eye, it seemed disembodied, as though coming from somewhere just behind him. It was extremely unnerving. "My real name is Ra Moon," came a cool, clear voice, languid, like oil slipping across stones, yet shifting in tone and pitch like light refracting through a moving prism. The white eye blinked again and became a purple outline, something like a giant hieroglyphic shining in the dark. "To answer your question, we are neither here nor there."

Mega Man wasn't in the mood for riddles and nonsense. "Show yourself!"

"If you insist…but remember what I said, you cannot grasp my true form. Prepare to be driven insane, earthling."

Mega Man held his breath. Something in the darkness was shifting. A perfect sphere, much like the black pearl yet blacker than night and larger than a car, was drawing closer. Two belts of luminous green geometric shapes wrapped around the sphere, cutting it into thirds, and in between these belts lay the violet pupil-less outline of an eye. Attached to the sphere were hundreds of cables, which fanned weightlessly around it like coils of rope under water.

Fully visible, Ra Moon halted before Mega Man.

"…You're just another floating one-eyed purple thing," said Mega Man after an awkward pause.

The cables that had been swaying dramatically around Ra Moon fell flat to the ground.

"Really? That's all you think of my true form? That's annoying, that's exactly what the Vanuu'bi used to say. Damn, and I've been working out and everything…"

He turned his back on Mega Man (which looked exactly the same as his front except you couldn't see his eye) and hovered a few yards away.

"So you really were the thing that back on the island!" Mega Man shouted after him.

The eye rotated back toward Mega Man. "You're so smart, that only took you like forever to piece together. Bravo." Ra Moon began clapping the ends of two cables together. "Sorry, I'm just so much smarter than you, and it's difficult to be patient."

Mega Man's eyes were still traveling along Ra Moon's shape in the darkness. "…What are you?"

There was another chuckle. "Once upon a time there was a supercomputer so advanced that his capabilities seemed godlike to all other beings. This supercomputer traveled the galaxies, having a good time while dooming all civilizations he came across until finally there was only one planet with life left: Earth."

When Mega Man just stared at him, Ra Moon continued, "I can do weird shit. To me, reality is just coding that I can manipulate. It's difficult for primitive lifeforms to comprehend."

Mega Man gritted his teeth. "What's your master plan for Earth?"

"Master plan? Uh…I don't have one? I used to kill lots of humans, back in the 'stone ages' or whatever," Ra Moon explained airily, as talking about a croquet game he had once watched. "But that got boring, they all started dying out. At times, I calculated that I would soon be the only one left. So now I'm much nicer; now I just mess with them, like the stuff with the wishes."

"So I saw," Mega Man said coldly. "And what do you want with _me_?"

"I've been looking for a new hench-person, but it took forever for humans to invent robots. I've been bumming around in other dimensions while I waited, hanging out at eldritch abomination meet-ups and obscure video game villain conventions to pass the time—then I saw you, back on the island—"

Anger and indignation surged through Mega Man. "Forget about it! There's no way I'd serve you! I'm not like those ancient humans you corrupted with false promises!"

"No, you're not. Those guys from the human legends…just gullible idiots. Humans can be disgusting, sleezy, double-crossing, narrow-minded, greedy assholes—which is why I love them so much! But you're not just some random tool I can trick for fun, you're a hero. You could have everything you want, yet you'd turn it down to help others. But you're also driven by your high moral principle, Mega…and heroes with high moral _snap_ when their principles get broken, giving into their darkest side."

Mega Man thought back to his part on Dr. Wily's invasion of Washington D.C., and even his rage at Proto Man on the island. "But I've grown past all of that!" he protested. He certainly couldn't relate to the false version of himself Ra Moon had just forced on him.

Ra Moon sighed heavily. "Most heroes do (boring!) which is why you needed a nudge from the evil energy."

"Evil energy?" Mega Man repeated. At the thought of the purple flame, something thumped again in his chest, like a trapped bird, trying to get out. "That's what it's called? How…stupid."

Ra Moon held up two of his cables as though shrugging. "Don't look at me, I didn't come up with the names. It's like this: Evil Energy feeds off the darkness in your mind, and in return gives you super-powers unlike anything your pathetic earth tech could ever fathom. Pretty neat, huh?"

"You mean it's going to brainwash me into being your overpowered servant," Mega Man guessed, feeling extremely uneasy.

Ra Moon drifted closer, his eye peering down at him. "Well it sounds bad when you put it that way! But think of this as a _good_ thing. 'Good' as in 'beneficial', not 'good' as in ethical, because I am most definitely evil." He gave a short sigh. "I've found humans like you along the way, but they take so much longer to corrupt. They can't survive direct possession from evil energy, so I have to act really subtly, mess with their subconscious and stuff. But they never get any new powers, and I never feel like I have full control over them. This is why I like robots—you're much more simple to interface with."

Mega Man wasn't sure why Ra Moon was telling him this, but he didn't like it, and he had had enough. There was no way he was giving up his free will without a fight. He drew a plasma cannon and began firing at Ra Moon.

The golden blasts dissipated against Ra Moon's black armor like sparks on black water. "You can't hurt me, Mega. Earth tech can't hurt alien tech. You're just too weak…at the moment."

Mega Man halted his onslaught, glaring up at Ra Moon with a clenched fist. "You can't keep me here! I don't want a part of this or you!"

Ra Moon's eye shimmered slightly. "Mmm…nah, don't care what you want, not even close. All I care about is that you _used_ to be a hero, and how hilarious it would be if you turned into a full blown villain. And by the time you've crossed over, you won't care about anything."

At this, Mega Man took a step back from Ra Moon. How was he going to get out of this? He couldn't see a point in reasoning with Ra Moon, nor could he see an outlet to escape. But he wasn't about to give up, not yet.

* * *

After uploading the data Kali had given them to the Emergency Satellite Scanner, Proto and Roll were able to pinpoint Mega Man's location—and like Mega Man's bizarre disappearance, this too was puzzling, for the coordinates lead them to an uninhabited part of the Amazon containing subterranean ruins of an unknown ancient civilization.

Proto gazed at the primitive drawings that were scribbled all over the crumbling stones, feeling cold and unnerved.

"I'm having a weird sense of deja vu…" he said, looking up at a round building at the top of a half-story's worth of wrap around stairs, like a temple. One of its walls had caved in.

"Have you flown here before?" Roll asked curiously.

Proto didn't answer. He began climbing the stairs, his insides twisting with dread. At the top, inside the half-crumbled temple, were two circular wells—one hanging upside down from the ceiling, one centered inside a black stone dais directly beneath it.

"I think Mega's down there…" Proto said quietly, looking down at the lower of the two wells.

"Hello?" Roll called into the well. Though the dark well looked endlessly deep, it seemed to swallow up her voice, silencing it as though she had yelled into a pillow. "Ooo, creepy," she said excitedly, turning to Proto. "Now what, are we jumping in?"

Proto held up a hand. "Just chill for a sec. We don't know what we're going to find down there, but it's probably going to be bad—"

"There's something _rotten_ down there if Mega Man is there," Roll smirked. "If you jump, I'm going to jump after you, so don't waste your time telling me not to."

"Fine, I know I can't stop you. But at least let me go first—and if something happens down there and only one of us can make it out, I want you to leave me behind. I'm not worth it."

"No, we're all making it out, even if it means we have to bring Mega-creep with us."

"Stop saying stuff like that…what if it was the opposite way around? What if Rock was your good brother, and I'm…I'm the creep," Proto trailed off. The thought had emerged like another fragment of the forgotten dream bubbling up.

Roll brushed this notion. "No way. Mega Man is bad-tempered and controlling. You've always been on my side! Now stop moralizing and let's get going."

* * *

Mega Man had continued to fire at Ra Moon, searching for any kind of weakness, but Ra Moon didn't even seem to care that he was doing this. Soon Mega Man was running out of power—plasma power, that was, yet he could feel the alien energy in his chest sustaining him like a tiny power plant.

For the most part, Ra Moon was ignoring him. It seemed he was waiting for Mega Man to give in to his will, and until that time, was content to sit in a strange meditative trance.

Mega Man pondered his options. If what Ra Moon said was true, there was no way he could hurt him with his normal plasma cannon, or 'Earth tech' as Ra Moon called it. But inside he had something more powerful now. He thought back to the attack he had unleashed in the Los Angeles street, how it had been so much stronger than any other weapon he had ever seen. Yes, that might work.

Concentrating hard, Mega Man called upon the alien energy lodged in his core. The energy responded readily to his thoughts as though eager to be let loose, and the runes on his armor flashed brightly.

Raising his hands, Mega Man shot a purple wave of energy at Ra Moon, blasting a clean chunk out of the top of his body. He looked a bit like a floating plum with a gigantic bite taken out of it.

The purple eye flashed briefly like a computer powering on, the destroyed part reforming like an explosion in rewind. "Ah, figuring out how to use your new powers, huh?" asked Ra Moon sleepily.

"Ha! So you can be hurt, you giant space bug," Mega Man called triumphantly. "I'll blast you again, I'll—Aaahh— _arrgghhh_!"

Sharp pain rented through his hands as his fingers fused together into two pointed claws. "My fingers!" he gasped as the pain faded.

"Oh yeah, sorry…sometimes alien energy does that," said Ra Moon carelessly, the eye pivoting toward him.

Mega Man examined his hands closer. They had become a sooty black as though burnt, but in reality had transmuted to a different metal all together—incredibly dense, yet weightless. He looked up at Ra Moon.

"Wait, every time I use this power…"

"You become a bit more alien. Aliens rarely look 'human.' Humans are gross and smelly, after all. If you're lucky, maybe you'll sprout more limbs too."

_"…_ _What?!"_

"Well you only have four of them. Here you are, worried about losing fingers when additional arms are way more useful. I for one think you'll like your new alien form."

First the runes, now _this…_ "I really wish this wasn't happening to me," Mega Man said hopefully.

"No more wishes. I got what I wanted. Your 'dad' got what he wanted. In a way, you got what you really wanted too—your brother is a hero."

"I don't care if he's a hero—I just want us all to be together!"

"Eh, details. It takes a lot of energy maintaining an alternate timeline like this, you know."

"What do you mean, 'alternate timeline?'" asked Mega Man sharply, rubbing his mutated hands together self-consciously. "How did you make this all happen?"

Ra Moon scratched the crown of his round body with a cable. "Uh, easy. I used a thing I think you earthlings call 'chronitons.' Chronitons have the ability to cause alternate timelines…however, because they are born from evil energy, there is usually something….twisted about the new realities. That's as best as I can explain it. I scanned your systems…you've had contact with chronitons before, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I have," Mega Man admitted, thinking back to when he had apparently been blasted thirty years forward in time. Though he believed he had really traveled to the future, there was no way for him to prove it. Feeling a moment of self-doubt, he couldn't help but ask, "Is any of this real?"

Ra Moon gestured at Mega Man as though referencing his various changes. "Oh this is very real."

Mega Man's heart sank.

Ra Moon was eyeing him unsympathetically. "I'm considering this karma for you calling me a giant space bug. That hurt my feelings, you know. I'm more like a giant flying octopus, and as everyone knows, bugs are gross while octopi are hilarious." The end of one of his many cables tapped the space just below hi eye, like a finger tapping a chin in thought. "I think I'll call you Ra Shadow—a play off 'R Shadow', you know, like Rockman Shadow from the...you know what, nevermind, someone out there will get that."

Mega Man began to pace, his clawed hands clutching his head in agitation, wondering how much longer he had before he'd respond to a name like 'Ra Shadow.'

"Not much longer," Ra Moon said.

Mega Man jumped, realizing with a stab of horror that Ra Moon had just read his mind.

"Your thoughts are predictable and boring, by the way," said Ra Moon lazily. The large purple eye outline was narrowing, as though drifting off again. "Don't worry so much…soon we will have some fun…or at least, I will."

"Mega Man!" a familiar voice called out through the darkness.

To Mega Man's disbelief, Proto was running toward them, his face looking stricken, his armor and bright yellow scarf a stark contrast against the cold gloomy cave.

"Proto!" Mega Man called back. A small selfish part of him was glad to see his brother, but most of him was petrified, and he held his distance, his eyes sliding over to Ra Moon, who had turned his attention toward Proto.

"And me," Roll said in annoyance, catching up quickly to Proto's side. "We're here to rescue you, you dumb shit!"

"Don't call him that," Proto hissed. He stared up at Ra Moon, his processors working furiously. "What the hell is that thing? It seems familiar…"

"…I do?" Ra Moon hovered toward Proto like a giant balloon, several of his cables skimming the ground. A ray of red light fanned out from his eye, sweeping up and down Proto like a scanner. "Ahh…I should have noticed before…you've had contact with justice energy."

Proto, who did not appreciate the weird prickling sensation of whatever Ra Moon had just done, leaped back. "…What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he stammered, confused and angry.

Ra Moon didn't answer him. Roll was gaping first from the floating alien orb, then to Mega Man, her eyes falling on his strange, three-digit hands, which were twitching nervously at his side.

"Yikes…what's happening to him?" asked Roll, looking at Mega Man as though he were an unusual specimen in a reptile house.

"It's the alien energy," hissed Proto angrily, glaring up at Ra Moon. "You're turning him into some kind of alien servant!"

"Bingo," said Ra Moon.

Proto's hand tightened into a fist, feeling an impending sense of fatality that there was no way to fight this creature. "Let me take his place—you can have me instead, I don't care, just let my brother and sister go."

"Proto…" Mega Man uttered weakly. Roll, who already had her utility arm trained on Mega Man, shot Proto an angry look, clearly thinking he was being stupid.

"Aww…brotherly love. How noble," sighed Ra Moon. "The funny thing is, I think you'd do this in any reality, any timeline. But I don't want you. Like I said, you're a stick in the mud. I think I'll just have Mega Man get rid of you for me instead. It'll be a poetically tragic beginning for him—or a delightfully ironic ending for you, you tell me."

Ra Moon's eye flashed. Mega Man suddenly stood up straight, his eyes glowing yellow and violet flames engulfing his body as they had done so in Los Angeles. Both Roll and Proto stepped back, knowing what was about to come, and having no idea how to counter it—

Two figures dropped from the ceiling and stood in front of Proto and Roll, shielding them from Ra Moon and Mega Man—Duo and Ra Thor had suddenly appeared.

"Oh c'mon…I was trying to keep people who might have a chance of interfering _out_ of this reality," Ra Moon complained as he took in the two most senior robo-officers of the Robot International Police. "But I suppose you found a way to track me down anyway."

"It was easy, I could sense you, especially when you started to distort time and reality at this scale," responded Ra Thor coldly, his glowing yellow eyes flashing.

"Good for you." Ra Moon rotated so that his eye faced Duo. "Heh heh. You're the last of your kind. Just when you hoped could find a new home here on Earth, your pals the Stardroids are nowhere to be found! Instead there's just me."

Duo stared at Ra Moon, his stoic face unchanged. "That is accurate."

"…I'm taunting you you emotionally stunted dummy." Ra Moon pivoted back toward Ra Thor. "And you…you are a ticking time bomb and you know it."

"Don't let him be in your head," Duo warned Ra Thor.

"The phrase is 'don't let him get inside your head,' and it's too late for that, he's already been there," Ra Thor responded dryly.

"I suppose you two want to fight me," Ra Moon snickered. "Alright…let's see how that goes for you!"

Ra Thor raised a palm toward Ra Moon, the red stone set in his palm beginning to glow. Emitting a sound like a Tesla coil, strings of electricity began striking out at Ra Moon. At the same time, Duo streaked forward like a cyan comet.

Ra Moon's eye flashed once like a strobe. The cables surrounding him lashed out at Duo, catching him easily and restraining him tightly like ropes. Though untouched, Ra Thor also stopped short. He seemed to be struggling with himself, his raised palm alternating between Ra Moon and Duo, who was fighting to get loose. Proto and Roll joined in by firing at Ra Moon desperately, but Ra Moon's disembodied voice merely snickered at them from every direction of the cave.

From Ra Moon's other side, a gigantic purple blast suddenly cut through Ra Moon's eye like a blazing arrow slicing through a target.

Like millions of retractable tape measures, the cables suddenly withdrew back into Ra Moon's body, and he fell with a deafening boom to the ground, the glowing ruins and gigantic eye going out so that he only resembled a monolithic sphere.

Free of the bindings, Duo leaped back warily. Beside him, Ra Thor shook his head, coming back to himself. Proto and Roll stared at Ra Moon's body in astonishment, daring to wonder if he could be—

But Ra Moon's voice suddenly seemed to hiss next to their ears, like a distored recording coming through a walkman's headphones. "Alright…fine. I've had my fun. Just remember…I know where you all live."

Then, like a gigantic eight-ball rolling into a side pocket, Ra Moon vanished into the ground, making a sound like someone blowing a raspberry.

"Well done, Mega Man! You fought him off," Ra Thor congratulated, turning toward Mega Man.

Mega Man didn't respond. He was still engulfed in purple flame, his face with its glowing yellow eyes turned blankly toward Duo, his feet lifting off the floor as he began to levitate.

Duo watched this grimly.

"Rock…?" Proto called anxiously. Roll had raised her utility arm.

It was if he couldn't hear them. He held out his hands, as though poised to attack, when Ra Thor shot like lightning toward him, quickly restraining him.

"Duo, now!"

Duo raised his the larger of his two mismatched arms. A ghostly projection of his three-fingered skeletal hand shot forward and passed through Mega Man. The purple flames on Mega Man went out like a torch under a sudden gale, and he fell unconscious.

Ra Thor laid him gently down on the stone ground. Duo knelt over him, waving his hubcap-sized hand over Mega Man's form. A small ball of violet fire rose out of Mega Man's chest like a puff of smoke. It faltered for a moment, a skull-like shape writhing like a leech within its light, then it winked out of existence.

Proto rushed forward to Mega Man's other side. "Rock!"

Duo smiled softly over at Proto. "He'll be okay."

"He's not going to get in trouble for all the things he did for Wily, is he?"

"No, he's not in trouble. Things that happened here don't count."

Duo was still waving his hand over Mega Man's form. Proto watched with astonishment as the runes on Mega Man's armor disappeared, and his hands resumed their normal shape. This was triggering vague memories in his mind again…

"…Right…" he muttered, flexing the hand of his blaster arm.

As though reading Proto's thoughts, Duo said without prompt, "My justice energy is the opposite of Ra Moon's evil energy…still, an earthling like yourself could not wield it."

"Justice energy? Evil energy? Those are lousy names…" Proto laughed, but he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Duo was definitely referencing something he couldn't remember—something that had happened in his dream, if it really was a dream.

"You once tried to absorb my energy with your special ability when you fought against me on the Moon," continued Duo in his soft-spoken voice. "I reversed the effects then, but because of your contact with justice energy, you could sense the truth through this false reality that Ra Moon created."

Proto felt more uncomfortable still, hyper-focused on one particular detail of Duo's story. "Heh…why we we fighting in the other reality? …Aren't on the same side?"

Neither Duo nor Ra Thor answered, though they were both looking at him.

Roll was staring too. "…Proto?" she asked tentatively.

Just then, Mega Man began stirring, his eyes sliding open. "Thank god, I'm back to normal," he spoke, lifting his hand. His gaze shifted to Duo and Ra Thor. "You…and you…you're aliens."

"Just Duo. I'm from Earth," said Ra Thor.

"But what we are is a secret," spoke up Duo.

Mega Man gazed at Ra Thor, noticing the ruins etched on his black armor, his glowing yellow eyes, yet his hands had five fingers like a human.

Feeling a soft pang of empathy, Mega Man said aloud, "You used to serve Ra Moon."

"Yes, he created me."

"What's he trying to accomplish?"

"Nothing, he just gets bored and does these things." Ra Thor shook his head bitterly. "We didn't win, he just went away…for now. It's been a long time since he's done anything like this, I think he overstretched himself."

Mega Man caught sight of Proto, who was watching them anxiously, and his eyes lit up. "And you're a good guy in this reality!"

"Yeah, I guess," Proto said quietly, wrestling with memories he didn't have again. Out of the corner of his eye, he was trying to read Roll's expression. Roll looked confused, clearly disbelieving everything Mega Man was saying.

"How do you feel? Do you like it?" Mega Man asked eagerly, trying to sit up, but Ra Thor held him down.

"I'm…not sure…" Proto responded tentatively, drawing away from Mega Man. At the moment, he was starting to feel very, very trapped. Then, in a falsely cheerful voice, he said, "I think I better get going."

Without another word, he sprinted into the cavernous darkness, his footsteps echoing into nothingness.

"I'll go after him," said Roll, looking anxious. She shot Mega Man a quick dirty look. "Don't think for a second I fully trust you yet. If you give Duo or Ra Thor any trouble, I hope they lock you up in whatever cell the Robot International Police reserves for its most slimy robots."

She shot off after Proto, calling his name.

"Roll…" Mega Man mumbled, feeling hurt.

"It will be alright," murmured Duo. "This reality is disappearing. You will all return to the point before Ra Moon altered everything, and things will return to the way they were, though none of you will remember your time here."

This came as an unpleasant shock to Mega Man. "Hey wait, I want to remember this," he protested, flinching away from Duo.

"It's really better if you didn't," Ra Thor said bracingly. "The trauma of being possessed by evil energy—"

"It's not like I turned completely into a monster," Mega Man interrupted. "Really, I'm okay!"

"It's a big deal," Ra Thor cut in sternly, his glowing eyes narrowing. "You have been forever changed, and your mind needs rest so the healing may begin. But, with luck, Ra Moon shall never return in your lifetime, and you shall live a completely normal life indistinguishable from what it may have been had you not come into contact with evil energy."

Mega Man didn't care about any of this. "But Proto was a good guy!" he said stubbornly.

"That wasn't real," said Ra Thor bracingly.

Duo put his large, three fingered hand against Mega Man's temple. "I'm going to put you to sleep. This has all been a dream."

Mega Man sighed settling down on the cold hard floor in resignation. "I know, might as well be," he grumbled, and within a second, his eyes had closed, a small smile on his face.

* * *

As the wish created timeline began dissolve around them, like old ruins crumbling into dust and swirling into space, Duo and Ra Thor faced each other.

Ra Thor was worried. (( _Ra Moon finally appeared in New York City after all these centuries…This will be a big thing to cover up._ ))

But Duo was more optimistic. _Not so. Most humans think Wily caused the chaos. They will remember that the chest with a being called 'Lotos' was destroyed, and nothing more._

(( _And the black pearl?_ ))

_Mikhail was right to contact Dr. Umlauf, but since the evil energy is gone, it is now harmless._

(( _What about Dr. Randeep Ramu? If he shares his research with the scientific community, then the world may finally learn the truth about aliens._ ))

At this, Duo's brow furrowed, his face (which looked like carved white marble that had come to life) distant. He looked lost. _It is not my duty to hide truth…yet I can see both help and harm in it. I think what I am doing is right, but I don't know everything. We must ask Dr. Ramu not to share what he knows._

Ra Thor thought on this for a moment. (( _Dr. Umlauf has been asking pointed questions lately, and Inspector Headley is not stupid. I believe they know, yet they are still our allies. Perhaps Dr. Ramu will be willing to help us too. I think he would even enjoy working with us. Dr. Ramu wants to know more about aliens, he will get to be with the robot officers he built, and Inspector Headley needs more roboticists. It seems mutually beneficial for all concerned._ ))

Duo's frown deepened. _The Stardroids should be here to guide in the rule of this planet. Truth, like justice and knowledge, can be a burden. I feel so tired._

Ra Thor had no comfort to that. They were both thinking about Mikhail Cossack. (( _Think what I said about Dr. Ramu over, anyway. For now, let's close this timeline and return home._ ))

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

A small village is terrorized by something out of a horror story. Fearing Dr. Wily is involved, Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Light are called by the Robot International Police to help investigate. Together, can the heroes take a bite out of crime…or will crime take a bite out of them? ...tune in next time for _Night of the Living Monster Bots!_


	23. Night of the Living Monster Bots, Part 1

****

**Episode 21: Night of the Living Monster Bots**

The details of how Dr. Wily's last scheme had crumpled apart were murky to Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Light. They all remembered confronting Dr. Wily up at the top of the Empire State Building, a flash of violet light, then Dr. Wily, Proto Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man fleeing the scene with Lotos nowhere to be seen.

"I think you shot the stone on top of Lotos's chest, then it exploded," Roll had pieced together finally back at the laboratory.

"Yeah, that sounds right," said Mega Man, scratching his head. "Well, thankfully no more Lotos to deal with, whatever he really was."

"And Dr. Ramu was able to reclaim Gravity Man," Dr. Light put in brightly. "They went back to R.I.P. headquarters since Gravity Man isn't technically allowed in the country. And now that Lotos is gone, I bet Dr. Ramu will take a job with R.I.P."

Relieved to finally have a reprieve from all the chaos, they enjoyed a relaxing evening playing board games by the living room fire (though it would be long time before any of them offhandedly uttered the phrase 'I wish' again).

* * *

Ever since returning from the Empire State building and his fall from having his wildest wishes granted, Dr. Wily's mood had been sour. He was particularly angry that Proto Man had left Skull Fortress in his absence.

"I was just trying to make some money! You know, rob a few banks, take hostages for ransom, that sort of thing," protested Proto Man from a lab table as Dr. Wily ran another diagnostics scan.

"Well you've strained yourself," Dr. Wily pronounced angrily. "I told you not to leave the laboratory!"

Proto Man sat up. "C'mon, Wily! I can't stay cooped up here, I'll go crazy."

Dr. Wily bent over Proto Man, staring down his beaky nose at Proto Man, his bushy eyebrows drawn over his light blue eyes.

"Fine!" he shouted angrily, shutting down the diagnostics computer. "You may come on my next mission _if_ you promise to stay in my sight—but in the meantime, no more sneaking off! Elec Man will keep an eye on you."

Proto Man glanced over to the other end of the laboratory, realizing Elec Man was sitting in the shadows on another lab table, watching them impassively.

"Whoa, hey, c'mon!" Proto Man protested, jumping to the floor and rounding on Dr. Wily. "You wouldn't want me to get _shocked_ in this condition, it might kill me."

"Better for you to die here than to be captured by the enemy," Dr. Wily said humorously.

"I'm not going to argue with that," said Proto wryly. "But c'mon, Wily, it's me, your second-in-command…you don't want to lose your best robot, do you?" he smiled brightly at him.

"Why can't you just stay put?" Dr. Wily retorted in aggravation. "I thought you'd like this arrangement! And quit complaining! I will have just the idea to keep you occupied—I just need to scout the perfect location first."

Refusing to say more, Dr. Wily stomped out of the laboratory, muttering darkly about 'spoiled robots' and 'insolent brats' and slamming the door behind him.

Heaving a sigh, Proto Man turned to Elec Man awkwardly.

"I know you hate Dr. Wily ordering you to babysit me like that…"

Elec Man slid off his lab table. "I volunteered, actually," he said casually. "My idea."

"Oh." Proto Man thought about this for a moment, taken off guard, then his feeling of chagrin flipped instantly to amusement. "Is this some sort of power play?"

"You are second-in-command," Elec Man responded matter-of-factly, scowling. "I know you like to treat that as entitlement to do whatever you like, but in a normal criminal organization it would be irresponsible for you to randomly take off in your condition to kidnap Russians—"

"Not Russian, American," Proto Man corrected quickly. "Real cool guy, actually."

"Whatever. You can't just disappear when you're this damaged."

Proto Man laughed. "Don't lecture me on 'my responsibilities', you hate it here!"

Elec Man dropped his voice, his eyes flickering to the door Dr. Wily had just stormed through. "You're the only one who can keep Wily's schemes from getting out of control."

"Yeah, I didn't like Lotos either," Proto Man admitted. "But don't count on me controlling Wily, you know how he is." Proto Man looked at Elec Man thoughtfully. "By the way, since we're talking…"

Elec Man gave a shadow of a flinch and turned his back to Proto Man, apparently guessing exactly what Proto Man was about to bring up.

"Don't worry, I won't _make_ you talk about Top Man," Proto Man said quickly, holding up his hands. "…but if you do want to talk, I'm all ears. No pressure."

"There's nothing to talk about. Why is this important to you?"

"I just…you know, want you to have a shot at having a relationship with your little brother without him hating you," Proto Man said casually.

"Quit calling that useless traitor my 'little brother,' and quit being so nosey and interfering. You're projecting."

This last remark stung. "Just go easy on him, alright?" Proto Man responded evenly. "Take your time, think it over."

"Whatever," Elec Man said coldly, then changed the subject. "Just remember what Wily said; you can't leave Skull Fortress without his permission until your repairs are complete."

"Yeah, about that…"

Proto Man lunged suddenly to the right toward the laboratory door.

In an instant, Elec Man had Proto Man face down on the stained concrete floor, his blaster arm twisted agonizingly behind him as Elec Man's boot dug into his back.

"Okay uncle, uncle!" Proto Man hissed through clenched teeth. "Just wanted to see if I could get past you. I'll be good, I swear!"

Elec Man held him in this position a moment longer, the pain in Proto Man's shoulder building, then abruptly let go. He thought he heard a soft snicker as Elec Man climbed to his feet.

Proto Man rolled over onto his back, massaging his damaged shoulder, then his face brightened. "Hey, this could be kinda fun with me trying to break out while you try to stop me."

"Grow up. Do that again and I will kill you."

"Harsh."

"—Or I will power you down until Dr. Wily has finished your repairs. I doubt you would even notice a difference, you're asleep half of the time anyway."

"Not half the time!" Proto Man responded indignantly, climbing to his feet and dusting his scarf off. "Just a lot. …Shut up. I'll be in the western hangar working on the jets."

"The defenses are programmed to shoot down any jet carrying you that leaves Skull Fortress without Wily's authorization," Elec Man called after him lazily.

"I'm not going to sneak out! Yeesh, can't you trust me a little?"

"Can anyone?" Elec Man returned bluntly. "Look…I'm just making sure you don't hurt yourself by doing something stupid, Light."

"You've got nothing to worry about, _Smith,_ " Proto Man retorted with a sarcastic flip of his hand.

As this name was an alias and not a real surname, 'Smith' didn't really work as a barb to Elec Man the same way 'Light' did Proto Man. Elec Man wrinkled his nose at him, unimpressed. Proto Man stalked off, thinking Elec Man was the one being nosey and interfering.

* * *

Still without answers on Ballade's whereabouts, Pharaoh Man, Shade Man, Blade Man, and Yamato Man reported to Centum about their suspicions that Burner Man might know something. Since then, they were busy trying to single out Burner Man, but were not having luck, as after the meeting in the junkyard Burner Man had been avoiding all of Centum's robots like oil avoiding water.

They gathered in a one of the Centum's Syndicate safe houses in California, a cozy basement well lit with white walls and stocked for robots.

"Burner Man is on to us. He's turned down three heists in a row," muttered Blade Man as they sat on modern-style white couches, energy cans sitting before them on a low table. "Whatever he knows about Ballade must be bad, bad enough that he's scared for his own skin."

"Centum has said to be careful, we don't want Gamma to become suspicious," said Shade Man wisely. "Still, I didn't think Burner Man would turn down a direct invitation from Centum himself…"

The door opened, and a robo-officer strode inside, his navy boots clicking sharply on the titled floor, his polished rotary cannon hanging stiffly at his side.

Blade Man leaped to his feet, slashing his cutlass arms downward like scythes. "Hey! No police!" He blinked at the robo-officer, then relaxed. "Oh, it's only you, Fake Man. Any news on Ballade?"

Fake Man's black eyes peered coldly at Blade Man from under the brim of his peaked police cap, "No, something came up. There was an emergency situation in L.A. at the same time Dr. Wily was attacking New York City, but everything is fine now."

"Thanks for coming, I know you are busy," said Pharaoh Man, his blazing red eyes fixed on Fake Man. "You were in on all the investigations on the ballet incident…" he began leadingly.

Fake Man nodded curtly. "As Chief Fictus, I was part of the cover up."

"What's your take then?" asked Blade Man. "Why would Ballade prevent Centum from bumping off his target? He endangered a lot of innocent bystanders with his bombs—it just seems so dumb and senseless, even for him."

"He's gone rogue," said Fake Man flatly. "…But he was also taking orders from someone, just not any of the three bosses."

This caught all of the Robot Masters off guard. Yamato Man stood up, his plated armor clinking lightly.

"You're saying someone _else_ told Ballade to sabotage Centum's plan at the ballet?" stammered Blade Man, the eyes in his narrow face widening.

Shade Man's wings had lifted slightly from their folded position on his shoulders like an agitated bird. "Who? Surely not someone within the Syndicate!"

"I have a suspect, but no motive," Fake Man said quietly. "Yet if I am right, this will get very, very ugly within the Syndicate. For now, I would keep it between us."

"You must tell Centum of your suspicions at least!" implored Shade Man.

"I have…but he hasn't taken me very seriously. I think he's too close to the situation, and he has a lot on his mind. He is still human, after all."

They all nodded sagely at this.

"Fake Man…Burner Man knows something about Ballade that he's not sharing," Yamato Man spoke up finally in Japanese. "If you help us capture him, we may be able to solve this situation."

Fake Man nodded. "I'll see what I can do. His arson jobs are sloppy, it will be easy to 'accidentally' let the robo-officers bust him for something."

Later, after matters had been settled, Yamato Man walked Fake Man toward the door of the safe house.

"How are you? I know it is difficult acting on both sides of the law," Yamato Man asked in a low voice, his eyes regarding Fake Man from the shadow of his kabuto-style helmet.

"I'm fine," Fake Man said gruffly, more gruffly than he meant. Yamato Man deserved respect: he was older, wiser, and more experienced—though Yamato Man's years of experience had only made him quiet, preferring to watch the others and lend support rather than lead efforts himself. Despite this, he was always kind, and when he broke this psychological distance it was with deep purpose. He understood Fake Man's situation better than anyone else, yet Fake Man was internally terrified to discuss any weaknesses in his own carefully guarded character, _especially_ with Yamato Man.

Yamato Man just nodded patiently. "Don't doubt yourself. You can be a good police officer _and_ be loyal to Centum. If you want to talk…" he trailed off neutrally.

Fake Man stole a quick glance at Yamato Man's face. "Thanks, I appreciate the offer," he said evasively. "I will find Burner Man. He's an idiot, but I don't think he's gone the way Ballade went yet."

* * *

Over the next couple weeks, things were pleasantly quiet in Dr. Light's laboratory, and Dr. Light took advantage of the peace to get ahead on his secret project.

One day, Roll and Mega Man walked into the laboratory to discover Dr. Light had installed a tall cylindrical chamber, just over the size of a refrigerator. They knew within it must lay the secret project, finally close to completion.

"I just hope he'll tells us what's inside," Roll told Mega Man one day under her breath, glancing longingly at the chamber. "It would be a real let down if we never found out what it was!"

The only thing they knew about the secret project was that it was a collaboration between Dr. Light and another scientist named Dr. Cossack. Roll had found this bit of news intriguing based on the sole fact that Dr. Cossack was likely related to the famous Los Angeles socialite, Kali Cossack—but Mega Man had become more interested in the prospect of someday meeting Dr. Cossack himself. He had combed through all the science articles he had ever read, realizing to his amazement that Dr. Cossack had made some prolific breakthroughs in chemistry (though Dr. Cossack seemed reluctant to take credit for his work or be in the spotlight in any sort of capacity). There was nothing about him being a roboticist in any article, yet Mega Man and Roll knew he had created Duo and Ra Thor. It was all very mysterious, and Mega Man spent as much time puzzling over these facts as the secret project itself.

Yet even Roll had thus far resisted the temptation to open the chamber to see what was inside. Still, they were dying to know what the secret project was once and for all...

* * *

Dr. Wily's mood eventually took a turn for the better. In fact, he seemed extremely excited about something—even more than he usually was when he had found new inspiration for taking over the world, conducting himself with the dramatic air of someone holding back a special surprise.

Though Proto Man was still in the dark on the details of Dr. Wily's new scheme, he nonetheless was cheerful to go along with whatever it was when Dr. Wily finally fetched him from working in the hangar.

"Say, uh…not that I'm complaining, but aren't we heading straight into the Robot International Police's jurisdiction?" Proto Man asked, gazing through the Skullker's window at the Atlantic Ocean sparkling below. "I know I don't need to remind you…but I'm still not battle ready yet," he added, unconsciously clenching the hand of his blaster arm. Until repairs were completed, he still couldn't form a plasma cannon. "—And the only Robot Masters we brought are Cut Man and Guts Man."

"That is to keep a low profile…but don't worry, those pesky R.I.P. meddlers won't even know what we are up to…until it is too late," Dr. Wily answered, his eyes glinting as he grinned viciously. "And if they _do_ interfere, they will be _extremely sorry!"_

Over the next few days, they became holed up in a new laboratory in an abandoned castle Dr. Wily had located in England. It was by far Dr. Wily's strangest laboratory yet, for it was completely decked out with all sorts of old-timey novelty electrical equipment—including Tesla coils and Jacob's Ladders, creating a constant hum of buzzing electricity. A large operating table stood as centerpiece in the room, the giant figure strapped on top of it shrouded from view by a thick canvas cloth.

Proto Man leaned against a computer terminal as Dr. Wily loomed over the figure, connecting massive power cables from the spherical power generators hanging overhead like colossal jellyfish, his laughter ringing off the brick walls and wooden rafters.

"At last, my greatest creation ever is nearly complete!" Dr. Wily cackled, casting Proto Man a gleeful look. His face and wild gray hair were starkly lit by dancing arcs of electricity and rapidly shifting shadows, making him look more intense than ever. "The world may call me insane, Proto!"

"Sounds right to me."

Dr. Wily seemed not to have paid attention to him. "—But when they see the power of my creations, they will fall to their knees in terror!" he added jubilantly, then continued his laugh.

A dusty mantlepiece clock chimed midnight dolefully.

Dr. Wily's head snapped toward it, his voice lowering dramatically. "Nyaah! time for my spine-tingling special shipment to arrive!"

* * *

Not far from the castle, shouts and screams began renting through the night in the nearby settlement of Hampton Village. A monster was on the loose, chasing any human who dared stroll along the cobblestone streets.

Meanwhile, a video camera was trained on the commotion, recording every shot of chaos.

* * *

"Um…what are we doing?" Proto Man asked, watching the video camera footage from one of the monitors in the castle laboratory.

"Making a movie," said Dr. Wily in a reverent whisper, his eyes locked on the screen with unshakable concentration.

"I see that, but why?"

But Dr. Wily didn't explain. He was focused intently on watching the villagers panic, their hands thrown high above their heads as a figure lumbered after them while making soft moaning noises. "That's it! Keep the camera rolling, Cut Man! Perfect! Look at the fools run!" he sneered. "And this is just the beginning, Proto! Before I'm done, my monster-bots will help me rake in billions!"

"With a monster movie?" scoffed Proto Man, beginning to catch on. "I think you better throttle back on this mad scientist bit."

"Not just an ordinary monster movie," Dr. Wily told Proto Man seriously, "One that shows any city which fails to pay me what will happen to them, real life, or film!" he punched the radio transmission next to the screen. "Mummy-bot, return to the castle! Alright, kids! That's a wrap," he barked imperiously (presumably Cut Man and Guts Man were on the other end of the transmission).

Then without another word of explanation, Dr. Wily turned back toward the operating table, laughing softly.

* * *

Time Man was walking down an English countryside road toward Hampton Village, the snow half-melted on the sides in an early tease of spring, the afternoon crisp and breezy.

"A mummy?" Enker's voice came from his communicator, sounding dubious. "Aren't they always on about something in Hampton Village? Last week it was aliens or some other nonsense."

"Ra Thor believes in aliens," said Time Man.

"Yes, well, he can be odd like that. And I wouldn't take the villagers too seriously, the sight of anything foreign has them reaching for their torches and pitchforks."

Time Man held back a laugh at this, though his face twisted into a slight smile. "A local museum was supposed to get a special shipment for their Egyptian exhibit last night. Anonymously donated, supposedly containing a real sarcophagus."

"Sounds dodgy."

"That's what I thought. Sure enough, whatever was in the sarcophagus broke loose, and the villagers have been on about 'the mummy's curse' ever since."

"Hmm, is there any evidence that there's _really_ a monster prowling the streets of Hampton Village? Why is this worth R.I.P.'s time to investigate?"

"A piece of titanium alloy was recovered from one of the mummy-sightings, a particular grade only used in the construction of robots. It did look like a bit that had broken off a mummy's wrapping," answered Time Man fairly. He glanced up at the sky, which was a cornflower blue, the sun hanging low over the rolling hills. "If their monster is a robot, then it could be very real and very dangerous—though I think it more likely that a teenager got ahold of a really good animatronic and is playing a prank."

"Well whatever is going on can't be stupid as whatever Wily unleashed on New York City last month. Did you hear about that, by the way? Involved some sort of being called Lotos who went around granting everyone's wishes at random. It was total chaos. The Statue of Liberty had come to life and was wading around New York Harbor shooting fireballs from its torch at passing helicopters according to the reports," Enker told him, laughing.

"You shouldn't make fun of the Americans' troubles against Wily, mad science is very serious," replied Time Man, but he couldn't help grinning despite himself.

Enker must have sensed Time Man's amusement, for he continued unashamedly, "And, just after Mega Man destroyed Lotos, they just went right back to their business as though nothing happened. New Yorkers, _seriously._ Though personally, I don't know if I believe all the eye witness accounts. The whole thing sounded rather loony to me."

Time Man repressed another snicker. It was easy talking to Enker. They had worked together for a long time now. Time Man had a tightly controlled and disciplined character, which Enker respected, but also made it safe for Time Man to relax and unwind a little without completely letting go of his professionalism. Likewise, Enker could be fun and laidback, always finding something to laugh about during missions, but underneath it all he was very serious about his job and its responsibilities, and appreciated working with someone who took their job equally seriously and didn't try to get him to goof around too much.

Time Man had crossed through the stone archway in the wall that surrounded Hampton Village. He looked around at the shops, the cafes, and the old stone church, frowning.

"I better start my investigation. I'm hoping to have this solved by six o'clock," he told Enker.

"Good luck. If it really is just a teenager, mind you don't go too harsh on them, Officer Time Man."

Time Man smiled softly at the mock-sternness of Enker's voice. "Of course not."

More seriously, Enker added in a low voice, "…Do you want someone to accompany you? I bet I could talk Headley into letting me come, I'm still no closer to catching the shadowy thief who's been leaving me all the cheeky haikus. He called me a 'Pickelhaube-wearing sucker' in the last one after he stole a priceless oil painting in Venice."

"It's really quite alright, it should be fairly routine. I know you're much busier than you're letting on, don't bother."

"It's no bother. At least check in at six then with your usual impeccable punctuality. Since we can not rely on emergency backup from Duo—well, I just want to know you're okay."

"Alright, but the whole thing may turn out to be nothing," Time Man warned ruefully. "I'm just doing my due diligence to put the villagers at ease."

Time Man ended his transmission with Enker and began to question the locals.

All of the villagers had strange, contradicting reports of the mummy they had seen, such as it had three-heads, or was as tall as a windmill, or was actually a great hairy beast—and all were eager to corner him in pubs and spin tales for as long as they could force him to listen, often speaking over each other out of turn. They seemed more interested in talking about the monster to Time Man rather than having Time Man stop it.

Time Man had half a mind to give up, return to Headquarters, and report that the mummy of Hampton Village was nothing more than another urban legend, but he knew it was his duty to stick it out and do his investigation properly, no matter how absurd and pointless it seemed.

The one thing all the villagers could agree on, however, was where they believed the mummy was hiding out.

"Castle Cavendish—built in the dark ages, you know," said a middle aged cashier, sipping on a brandy.

"Count Cavendish was quite mad you see, and all paranoid like," joined in a farmer, smelling strongly of beer. "It's like a labyrinth in there. Closed off and unsafe, and extremely haunted I reckon."

"That castle has been abandoned for ages…more of a ruins really," added the bartender, passing Time Man a complimentary energy can. "That's where you'll find the monster, I'd bet me last penny on it."

 _But there's no such thing as monsters,_ Time Man thought to himself, rolling his eyes, but he followed their recommendations and headed toward the castle anyway.

The sky was turning a deep blood red as night began to descend. Time Man trekked cross-country through a dense forrest filled with leafless trees, their black branches reaching toward the sky like rakes. He could see the ancient walls of Castle Cavendish up ahead, their expansive structures comprised of hewn bricks of limestone.

After crossing several half-frozen brooks and fighting his way through dead brambles, Time Man began to get the distinct impression he was being followed. Turning his ear receptors up to their highest sensitivity, he kept going, pretending not to have noticed anything amiss. Then he stopped dead in his tracks under a gnarled yew tree, now certain he was being followed.

"Anyone there?" he called. "I'm an officer of R.I.P.! Please turn yourself in!"

A soft wheezy chuckle drifted by in the wind, but it may have just been a tree creaking. Time Man scanned the tangled undergrowth warily, the waning light leaving everything in deep shadow. But he was looking in the wrong direction and at the wrong height. Something on the ground stalked silently closer, its eyes gleaming red in darkness…

It bit down on Time Man's leg like a vice. With a shout of surprise, Time Man crashed to the forest floor as it bounded off in a flash of brown fur.

Time Man fired off a quick a _Time Slow._ He saw a shape freeze like a statue in the thicket some distance ahead as the violet clock hand hit it.

"Nice try," Time Man called coolly, planning to walk calmly to his trapped target and make an easy, no-nonsense arrest.

But though Time Man had suffered only minor damage from the bite (just a few small scapes in his titanium, really) he was having trouble getting up. That was when he noticed he was starting to feel very, very strange.

His abdomen clenched into a tight knot, his jaws began to ache, his breath coming out in ragged snarls, like a human suffering from a dreadful head cold. He tried to call out, but all that issued from his mouth was a deep, guttural growl.

_What's happening to me?!_

Time Man thoughts became hazy as he fell further into the dead foliage, his titanium bones twisting and bending, his armor splintering into jagged points.

Something was horribly wrong. He had to find someone to help…help…no, _bite_. He had to find someone to bite.

* * *

Time Man had been missing for an hour when Inspector Headley called Dr. Light; it was over another two hours before Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll arrived in London in their hoverjet.

They met Inspector Headley inside an office reserved for him in Scotland yard, where he had been a detective before becoming the highest-ranking official of the Robot International Police. It was a handsomely furnished room, the walls lined with bookcases filled with leather bound books and rich oil paintings of English landscapes, his heavy oak desk neat and filled with pictures of his husband and two little girls on their loch-side property.

Inspector Headley sat behind his desk wearing a pinstripe vest over a crisp white shirt, a wool coat and brown hat hanging on a coat stand behind him.

"You say a mummy attacked Hampton Village…" Dr. Light repeated after Inspector Headley briefed them on the strange reports they had been receiving. "No no, it's superstitious nonsense, Inspector Headley."

But Inspector Headley looked extremely anxious, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "Ah, perhaps, but something has those people so scared they're ready to abandon their village. We found this on the moor."

He opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a twisted scrap of metal, which shone like silver in the empire ceiling light.

"It's a titanium alloy, primarily used in the construction of robots," identified Dr. Light.

Mega Man made the connection out loud. "Dr. Wily!"

"Yes…robotic monsters. That's what we feared. And that's why we called you here, Dr. Light," said Inspector Headley. Then he lowered his voice. "Sorry to spring this on you, but we're in a bit of a bind. Duo and Ra Thor are indisposed at the moment."

"How come?" Roll asked boldly.

"Classified," Inspector Headley said crisply with a small shrug. "Dr. Umlauf and Dr. Ramu are looking after them, but there are certain specifics of their design—specifics their sneaky bastard of a creator would have done ruddy well to tell us about before he left—"

At this last part, Inspector Headley pounded his fists lightly against the desk, causing the picture frames to jump, his face flushed in annoyance as his dark brown eyes flashed. Roll and Mega Man glanced at each other with raised brows, for they knew Duo and Ra Thor's creator was supposed to be Dr. Cossack, and had noticed from the photographs that Inspector Headley's two daughters were wearing the same style of black daisy hat that Kali Cossack had made popular. Then they took a quick look at Dr. Light, who was frowning at Inspector Headley.

But Inspector Headley quickly recomposed himself, smoothing his pencil mustache with his fingers and lovingly retiding the picture frames. "—But that's neither here nor there, the point is that they are very difficult to repair. We had sent Officer Time Man (who is originally from this region and therefore familiar with the area) to Hampton Village to assess the situation—not expecting any serious trouble to be likely, of course—but now he's gone missing. He was last in contact with Sergeant Enker, who is very worried and made an appeal to abandon his current mission to search for Officer Time Man personally.

"I don't think I can refuse Enker's request, but, if Wily _is_ truly behind this as we now fear, then Time Man may have been captured and sending more officers will exacerbate the situation. So we were wondering if you could look in on Hampton Village, given your experience with mad science."

"You made the right call, Inspector," said Roll.

"We'll find out what Wily's scam is and put a lid on it," Mega Man assured him.

Inspector Headley's face brightened. "Thank you! I'm worried Dr. Wily has somehow found out Duo and Ra Thor are temporarily out of commission, and is planning an attack," he admitted. "R.I.P. headquarters is not without its defenses, but it is still possible for Dr. Wily ransack our headquarters and steal our Robot Masters. With Duo down, we wouldn't be able to recover any reprogrammed officers, and if Wily took them back to America…well, you saw what almost happened to Gravity Man. It would be very tricky to get them back."

"We won't let that happen to Time Man or any of the other officers," said Mega Man firmly. "I'll never forget how Time Man saved my neck on the moon. C'mon, we better start looking."

* * *

"This should be fun working with R.I.P. again," Roll told Mega Man as she, Dr. Light, and Mega Man exited Scotland Yard through the automatic glass doors. "I might even get to see Enker again," she added wistfully.

"I thought you weren't interested in Enker? You said he was too serious," Mega Man reminded her.

"Yeah, but at least he's a good guy," Roll said darkly.

Mega Man didn't comment on this. Something had happened during Roll's brief encounter with Elec Man while Dr. Wily was attacking with his Robo-Spider that she didn't want to talk about—and Mega Man decided he didn't want to know. From what he knew about Elec Man, he wasn't very nice and Mega Man would hate to have a sibling have anything to do with him.

The streets of London had become extremely misty in the unseasonably warm March weather, blocking the top halves of buildings from view. Somewhere above, they could hear Big Ben tolling ten o'clock.

Dr. Light looked around fondly at the red telephone booths, the pubs, the historical gas lamps, the entrances to tube stations, and the street cleaner robots, which had a more classic, regal design than their American counterparts. "Goodness! How things have changed," Dr. Light commented, smiling at the drones.

"That's right, you grew up here," recalled Mega Man. "Do you ever miss it?"

"Sometimes, though I'm perfectly happy in America." Dr. Light stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, his head bowed against the night chill. "It's a long way to the village. We better flag a cab."

They walked to the street corner. Catching sight of something out of the corner of his eye, Mega Man peered down a side street street, frowning. At the other end of the block, a hooded figure in a dark cloak was standing quite still next to the curb. Was all this talk of robotic monsters making him think he saw phantoms?

He was about to draw Dr. Light's and Roll's attention to the figure, when the headlights of a car came blazing suddenly down the street, weaving in the way that suggested the driver were not paying attention, jumped the curb, and was headed straight for the hooded figure.

Mega Man gasped, rushing forward—but the figure did a sort of tumble toward out of control car, propelling off the hood and onto the roof in a sort of flip, then kicking off and landing squarely in the street behind as though this were a well practiced gymnastics routine.

Relieved, Mega Man came to a slow halt. "Some guys shouldn't be allowed on the road," he called wryly to the figure as Roll chased after the car, swearing admonitions about reckless driving.

"Mmmm, it's fine, I do my own stunts," drawled a voice.

The figure turned toward Mega Man and pulled back the hood of the cloak, revealing a face tabloid magazines would devote a whole paragraph to, something along the lines of 'Heart-stoppingly beautiful with robin blue eyes, golden skin, a full ruby red pout, and a diamond-shaped face framed by tresses of wavy blonde hair.'

Mega Man instantly recognized this face. "Hey, you're Evelyn Wray, the famous movie actress!" He cast Roll a sidelong look, grinning. Evelyn Wray was one of her favorite human celebrities.

Roll, who had just returned from chasing after the car, was acting flustered, clasping her hands together in an uncharacteristically shy sort of way. "Wow, Ms. Wray! I just loved you in _Bride of the Werewolf!_ …And _Spy Hunter_! And _Crypt Bandits_ and _Top Cop_ and _Space Raiders_ and _The Last Shield-Maiden_ and—!" she rattled off, her eyes sparkling. "…Can I have your autograph?" she asked finally after taking a breath, transforming her utility arm into a pair of tweezers. "Oh, damn…that's not a pen!"

Evelyn Wray rested her hands on her hips, looking Mega Man and Roll over. "Mmm say, you really know my filmography! I'm impressed!" She gave them a very genuine smile that radiated warmth. Then she glanced down the street, frowning. "Where's my ride?" she drawled again. Her voice had a breathy drawn out quality as though she were on stage. "I'm due in Hampton Village to shoot a movie!"

"What a coincidence, Ms. Wray!" spoke up Dr. Light, smiling. "That's where we're headed. Why don't you ride with us?"

Roll grinned happily.

* * *

They rode out of London together, Roll peppering Evelyn Wray with questions about her film's famous action sequences, then recounted some of her own exciting adventures. Evelyn Wray listened with a politely interested expression on her face, though Mega Man had this strange feeling that she had no idea who they were. When they told Evelyn Wray about Dr. Wily's latest attack on New York City with the help of an alien, she exclaimed, "Mmmm, what a story!" Mega Man and Dr. Light exchanged glances at this, but said nothing.

At her request, the cab driver dropped Evelyn Wray off first at the end of an old dirt lane in the middle of a forest. "I'm heading up to the castle to see the film's director," she explained to them as she climbed out of the car. "I can walk from here."

Roll and Mega Man peered through the gloomy mist up at the castle, which was a vast dark shadow of parapets and turrets against the night, all of its windows darks. It seemed uninhabited, and the 'No Entry' sign on the iron gate looked particularly forbidding. Somewhere in the distance, a lone wolf howled.

"But Ms. Wray, are you sure it is safe?" Dr. Light called after her.

But Evelyn Wray didn't respond as she walked off into the mist, her black cape whipping behind her. Shrugging, Dr. Light motioned to the cab driver, and sped off.

"Wow, Evelyn Wray, in the flesh!" said Roll as they drove down the winding roads toward the village. "That was too cool. Too bad we couldn't hang out more."

"Inspector Headley asked us to investigate the village first," replied Mega Man. "But if we're lucky, maybe we'll get to check out the movie shoot while we're here."

But they found the monster before ever reaching Hampton Village.

It was trudging through a shallow pond between the castle and the village, its yellow eyes glittering like golden scarab beetles underneath the layers of silvery metal wrapping that matched the alloy Inspector Headley had shown them.

A band of humans gathered around the edges of the pond. They had apparently tracked down the monster, intent on defending their village as they shouted and threw sticks, but to no avail, for the sticks broke off its metal hide like straw against stone. Then the monster lunged menacingly toward the nearest villagers, who scattered away, shouting for help.

"There it is, definitely a robot," said Mega Man as they hurried out of the cab.

Roll nodded. "Let's trash it!"

It was not a difficult battle. The Mummy-bot was slow, had sub-average defenses, and no form of attack other than grabbing and moaning ghoulishly. They made quick work of it, Mega Man shooting at it with his plasma cannon, and Roll delivering a round house kick that sent it sailing in the deep end of the icy pond, where it short-circuited then sank out of sight with a slow burbling of bubbles.

"That takes care of Hampton Village's Mummy-bot problem," said Roll as the humans around them broke out into cheers. "But where's Time Man?" She looked over at Mega Man and bit her lip, both of them thinking without needing to say anything aloud that Time Man would have had no problem taking down that robot by himself.

"Are you talking about that robot from R.I.P.?" asked the mayor, walking up to them, his thumbs stuck into the pockets of his coat and a top hat sitting primly on his head. "He was here earlier asking questions about the mummy, then went up to the castle around sunset. Haven't seen him since."

"The monster got 'im!" interjected a voice from the crowd.

"The castle?" repeated Mega Man, feeling a sinking sensation in his chest. "You wouldn't mean the one in the middle of the woods just a few miles from here?"

"That's the one, Castle Cavendish," said the mayor brightly. "Wouldn't be another castle around to confuse it with, now would there?"

"Uh-oh, that's where Evelyn Wray said she was going," muttered Mega Man to Roll. "Looks like we're going to check out her movie shoot after all!"

* * *

Having served as the crew filming the Mummy-bot the previous night, Cut Man and Guts Man shuffled up to Proto Man inside the castle laboratory, wondering what on earth they'd be ordered to do next.

"Duh…Proto Man, can you explain Dr. Wily's plan again?" Guts Man mumbled to Proto Man sheepishly, casting a furtive glance at Dr. Wily to make sure he wasn't listening.

Proto Man shrugged. "Wily's lost his marbles and we're making an exploitation monster film."

"So that's why Dr. Wily programmed me with to know everything about filming and editing," spoke up Cut Man.

"He did what now?" Proto Man asked blankly, certain he had misheard.

"Filming and editing," repeated Cut Man enthusiastically. "Like match cuts, cutaways, cut-ins, jump cuts, contrast cuts, direct cuts—"

"I got it, I got it," Proto Man interrupted quickly.

"Well he programmed me with advanced knowledge of sound editing and mixing," said Guts Man importantly, puffing out his chest.

"…Really?" asked Proto Man, surprised. "I thought we were just making some sort of weird ransom video. How much effort is Wily putting into this anyway?"

The wooden laboratory door creaked open as Gilliam (a robo-buttler Dr. Wily had for some reason thought they needed and built specifically for the castle) escorted a tall blonde woman wearing a long black cloak inside. Her eyes lit up in excitement as she looked around at the tacky, outdated equipment.

"Mmmm! What a great set! Everything looks so _real!_ "

She walked up to the operating table, lifting the edge of the canvas cloth. A heavy robotic arm shifted with a loud squeak, startling her.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Proto Man advised.

The woman turned toward him. "Cool costume, you look like a real robot!" she said, sounding thoroughly impressed.

Proto Man just smiled. "…You don't watch the news much, do ya?"

So this must be Evelyn Wray, the film actress. He only knew about her because Dr. Wily had mentioned that she would be arriving this evening, though Proto Man had never dreamed anyone would be gullible enough to actually turn up for a casting call from _Dr. Wily_ —

Dr. Wily strode up to them, his hands clasped businesslike behind his back. "Ms. Wray, I'm so glad you're here to be in my movie."

Evelyn Wray glanced at Dr. Wily, not with the terror of someone confronting the world's most wanted mastermind, but as though he were just a regular person dressed as mad scientist. "Yes, please tell me more about the plot, Mr. Wily."

Proto Man looked back and forth from Evelyn Wray to Dr. Wily, smirking. Was she really going to buy that Dr. Wily was a real film director?

"Oooo, it's my best one yet!" Dr. Wily simpered. "An international star like you terrorized by my monster-bots, a village, a city, brought to its knees! The world watching it all on film, paying me billions to call off my invincible monster-bots!"

Evelyn Wray made a noise of disgust. "That's the worst idea I've ever heard!"

"I tried to tell him," put in Proto Man, smiling.

She drew herself up to her full height, her eyes steely. "I refuse to be in your movie!"

They lapsed into a heated argument over contract details. Proto Man watched on with mild interest until finally Evelyn Wray and Dr. Wily came to an agreement and Evelyn Wray consented to shoot the first scene.

"…You're really going along with this, aren't you?" Proto Man whispered to Evelyn Wray in passing as she headed off to get into wardrobe and makeup, completely amused that she hadn't realized how bogus this whole sham was yet.

"Of course, I am a professional actor, I'm used to dealing with difficult directors," she answered, winking at him and smiling proudly. "Besides, I just couldn't stay away after he sent me a sample of the script, mmm-hmmm. Simply brilliant, I'd kill to have brains like his."

Then she strode gracefully off. Proto Man watched her go, perplexed.

"…There's a script?"

* * *

It was almost eleven o'clock as Mega Man and Roll sped toward Castle Cavendish on Rush's jet (Dr. Light took the cab to the village to wait where it would be safer).

"Time Man's been missing for five hours now…" Mega Man muttered. "But at least it's a bright night with the full moon."

They dismounted at the front gate, crossed a rotting drawbridge over a moat of dark still water, and up to the arched front doors with squeaking door knockers. Roll picked the large brass lock, then they pushed them open.

The inside was richly decorated, but covered in years of neglect. The paintings on the walls were cloudy, the furniture was rotten and moldy, and cobwebs hung like drapes on the chandeliers. And yet, the layer of the dust on the cracked floorboards was disturbed—as though something had been roaming around the castle, recently.

"Ooo, creepy! It's like Fright Island, only real!" said Roll enthusiastically. "I bet humans have died here. Do you think it's haunted?"

"Depends on if you believe in ghost stories," said Mega Man, glancing around at the dilapidated interior. The only thing he remembered being scared of at Fun World was Clown Man. "This place is huge. Let's split up, we'll cover more ground that way."

Roll held up a hand. "Bad idea, Bro. That's horror movie cliché number one. As soon as the group splits up, something bad happens to one of them. _Everyone knows this."_

"This isn't a horror movie, it's just one of Wily's stupid plots, and Time Man and Evelyn Wray are likely in trouble," Mega Man responded impatiently. "The sooner we find them or Wily, the better."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn ya…"

"Do you want to take the armory, or upstairs?"

"Armory!"

She gave him a small wave and took off down a stone hallway lined with burnt out torches as Mega Man climbed a grand staircase with broken banisters and stained carpeting into the second story, Rush at his heels.

The castle was quiet, but not silent. Every now and then a creak of a floorboard, the sound of cloth sliding against stone, or the distant echoes and light taps against stone left the hair-raising impression that Mega Man and Rush were not alone.

It was dark and cold as Mega Man crept through the drafty halls, so dark that he could barely see his own hands in front of him, but Mega Man didn't risk making any sort of light, which would easily give away his position—he'd have to trust his ears and Rush to help sniff out any danger.

Sure enough, as they reached the end of the hallway toward the castle living chambers, Rush halted, sniffing the air, then began growling.

"Shh…" Mega Man touched Rush lightly on the head. So someone definitely _was_ here.

He entered the the living chambers, but it was too dark to make out anything, he couldn't even see the walls of the room. Had something just moved in the corner? Or had that rustle come from the rafters?

Mega Man made his way painstaking forward, careful to be quiet. It seemed to take hours to cross the room. Ahead was an open door to the castle balcony, a cold breeze whistling softly inside through a tattered curtain. Mist twined through the barren treetops outside, and the yellow glittering lights of Hampton Village could be seen beyond.

Mega Man's pulsar pulse began racing, his ears straining and his eyes fixed on the balcony. He could have sworn he had seen a shadow move. He could hear Rush padding quietly behind him, and reached down to scratch his ears reassuringly.

Something sharp sank into his arm like a closing bear trap. Mega Man shouted in surprise, yanking his arm away and whirling at his attacker.

The first thing he noticed was the red eyes glowing in the dark, and the large, glistening row of gigantic fangs below that could rival a robosaur's. It was like something out of a nightmare. In shock and terror, Mega Man staggered back into the balcony. The creature advanced on him, stepping into the moonlight, and Mega Man gasped.

It was a horrible, monstrous robo-wolf, snarling like an angry bear. Mega Man was sure it was about to strike again when Rush came dashing onto the balcony, his teeth bared.

As Rush fought it back, Mega Man got a closer look at the robo-wolf. It looked vaguely familiar…the particular shade of violet armor, the cyan triangular marking on its forehead, the semi-circular golden bells sitting above its ears—could it be?

"…Time Man?" Mega Man whispered in disbelief. It was almost as if he had become a—

Mega Man glanced over his shoulder at the full moon above. "Shit." Then he looked down the bite mark on his arm, the dotted oblong smoothing itself out like holes made in thick mud. "Oh _shit."_

He was starting to feel hot and a little dizzy, his head _very_ heavy. The moonlight seemed to beat down on him like the noon day sun. Mega Man staggered toward the cool shade of the castle, but it didn't seem to matter. He felt itchy, like a million spiders were crawling all over him.

Then Mega Man jumped, clapping his hand to the sides of his helmet. It felt like someone had just tugged on his ears, _hard._ They had unfurled through his ear receptors into long, velvety, bat-like ears that flickered away reflexively from his touch. Meanwhile, a dull ache had settled into his jaws, his lips curled back from his bared teeth (which seemed to have become triangular and sharp), and his nose tingling as if a prolonged sneeze were stretching out his nostrils.

"Uhh…"

He chocked horsely on the word, as though his throat was full of gravel. He fumbled desperately with his communicator, his thoughts on calling Roll for help, but he couldn't press any of the buttons as his hands were morphing into stiff, thumbless, grooved semi-spheres— _robo canine paws…_

This was horribly familiar. "No…no no no…nnnrrrgh…"

Without even having to cross his eyes, he watched as a long furry muzzle grew out of his face, a weird scrunching feeling overtaking the end of his nose as it became round and black.

On the castle floor, Rush and the robo-wolf—not robo-wolf, Time Man—were snarling and snapping at each other. Though Rush was valiantly attempting to hold his own and defend his master, Time Man was much bigger, and with a sudden lunge bit down hard on Rush's shoulder. Rush let out a sharp yelp.

"RRrrr—rrr—Rrrrush! _Rrrr_ r…" Mega Man called out thickly, struggling on the word. His voice had dropped two octaves and rumbled through his chest like the bass in car stereo.

He had to help Rush. Mega Man stepped forward, then stumbled, knocking over an antique vase, which smashed. He felt strangely out of control of his body, off balanced—and soon he knew why as an odd crinkling sensation crept down his spine. His top half swung downwards like a drawbridge, his new paws hitting the dusty floorboards with a clang like pan lids as his arms shifted into forelegs. At the same time, his toes began to reshape into paws identical to his hands, his heels lifting off the floor and his shin and thigh collapsing into themselves like telescopes as they became reedy hind legs.

He was now eye level with Rush and Time Man. _Not good, not good, not good…_ he thought as claws extended from his paws like switchblades and his teeth lengthened into the same gruesome row of fangs that Time Man bore. A tremor ran through him, then a thunderous howl erupted from his cavernous maw.

Startled by the noise, Time Man broke apart from Rush to look over at Mega Man with his ears pricked upward, and in that moment of distraction, Rush charged again, finally succeeding in butting him off the balcony edge. Time Man tumbled downward and out of sight with a howl.

Mega Man shook his head, as though hoping to get rid of the new strange weight, then blinked in confusion.

...Now what?

**_To be continued…_ **


	24. Night of the Living Monster Bots, Part 2

Mega Man first tried to talk, but the only sounds he could produce were snarls, growls, and howls. Then he tried to stand, but his lower back pinched painfully while his hind legs shook like bendy straws attempting to support a beer keg. He fell back on all fours. Reluctantly, he turned toward a cracked and spotted standing mirror in the living chamber's boudoir to look at his reflection.

It was an alarming sight. Mega Man supposed he looked something like what he had become during Roll's accidental wish, except much larger and monstrous in a way that would frighten most humans. His body resembled two large blue beachball connected by a light blue thorax. Saw like ridges grew from the donut shaped hinges that joined his legs to his body and along his back. His face was completely covered in chestnut-colored synthetic fur, his jaws nearly a foot long, his lips curled back to the gums as though frozen in a snarl, exposing a thicket of uneven curved fangs as large as spearheads. The only thing left human about him was his blue eyes, which were staring back at him in shock.

He shook his massive head. That was really him. A wolf-bot. And with each breath through his long snout, he could acutely smell the dust on the furniture, the stains on the carpets, the mildew in the curtains, the formaldehyde in old books, and even the rust from door hinges. The sensory overload of bad smells was distracting, and he involuntarily snuffed, uncomfortably aware of a long tail of interlocking titanium segments swishing behind his hind legs.

All the while Rush watched him, his ears drooped. He gave a soft, tentative whine.

Mega Man turned to Rush, who had defended him so faithfully against Time Man, and tried to reassure him that everything was okay but all that came out was faint growl. Rush seemed to understand this though, for his ears perked up, and he took a step closer, his tail wagging slightly.

Meanwhile, Mega Man was thinking furiously, pacing across the dusty floor while Rush sat on his haunches, waiting.

So this must be what Dr. Wily was planning…using his mad science to turn any robot who dared stand against him into a wolf-bot. Poor Time Man had become his first victim, and was clearly no longer himself. Mega Man supposed his own advanced-android programming prevented him from running around the castle looking for something to bite like Time Man, but he had no clue how to reverse either of their transformations.

Mega Man stopped pacing, looking back through the door he had came through. Time Man was still out there, somewhere, and he needed to find Dr. Wily or warn Roll before she got bitten as well.

* * *

A flock of battontons had been assigned as production assistants to Dr. Wily's movie. They fanned out around the castle laboratory, their red ripstop wings creaking softly as they grabbed various lighting and sound equipment in their mouths.

Again, Proto Man was baffled as he watched a film set being assembled before his eyes. Since he couldn't break through Dr. Wily's concentration (who was busy barking orders at the battontons), he instead turned to Evelyn Wray, who was now costumed in an orchid tunic.

"Mmmm! So sweet!" Evelyn Wray exclaimed, holding out her hands in a cup. A battonton flopped into her palm like a softball, a dazed, star-stricken look in its ping-pong eyes as it gazed up at her. "It really fits the theme!"

"Yeah, Wily usually uses them for spying on his old work partner and I use them for target practice, but I guess they can be cute," said Proto Man, shrugging.

"Stop it, you're terrible!" she laughed, clearly not believing a word he said as she sat the smitten battonton onto her shoulder.

"Um…" Proto Man dropped his voice with a sidelong glance at Dr. Wily. "…Are you sure this kind of production isn't beneath you?"

Evelyn Wray smiled brightly at him. "Mmm not at all! It's an arthouse spin on the 1950's horror genre. This is so genius."

"If you say so."

She placed her hands on her hips, still smiling. "So what's your part?"

Proto Man smiled back. "I think I'm supposed to be the Igor to the mad scientist."

Evelyn Wray laughed again, tossing her hair back. "Mmmm, that is either a joke or the worst casting decision ever! With your looks, you should be an action hero."

"Thanks! But I actually prefer playing villains."

"Mmmm-hmmm. So what other movies have you been in?"

"Um…this is my first."

"First time, mmmmm?" drawled Evelyn Wray sagely. "I got my start in a low budget horror film too. You may have heard of _Bride of the Werewolf._ Break out hit. You know, I have a lot of connections in Hollywood. I can help you find other work if you've got talent to match your humor."

"Gee, that's very nice, but to be honest, I'm not in L.A. that often, I'm kinda a New Yorker."

"I see, you have your sights on Broadway. Ever think about acting in bigger movies?"

"Nope."

She looked at him thoughtfully through narrowed eyes, tapping a finger against her ruby lips, clearly enjoying these riddles. "Say, I know I've seen you someplace before."

"I've been on TV," Proto Man said helpfully.

Evelyn Wray held up a hand. "Mmmm don't tell me, it'll come to me!"

There was a soft cough. Gilliam the stone-faced butler had silently approached them, bowing politely. "Mr. Wily is ready for you, Ms. Wray," he said, sweeping an arm toward the set, his black deep set eyes glittering like polished jet.

"Time for me to get to work, kid." Evelyn Wray handed Proto Man the battonton. "And would you mind holding onto this for me? Thanks a million."

And she sauntered off again toward the the camera where Dr. Wily was waiting for her.

"Why does no one from L.A. know me?" Proto Man murmured to the battonton.

Then, with a small shrug, decided he might as well check out Dr. Wily's shoot.

* * *

Mega Man raced back through the cobweb strewn halls, Rush at his side. The castle looked very different from this point of view, he was no longer tall enough to see outside the windows, and he could see the unfinished undersides of furniture.

But he encountered no problems—that was, until he returned to the first floor. The stone hallway Roll had disappeared down branched in many directions, many of which had closed doors.

 _Right, no thumbs,_ he thought as the tried to grip a door knob with the flat bottoms of his paws. He began darting from corridor to corridor, careful not to make a sound against the brick floor lest he alert unwanted attention, but he was making no progress in finding Roll.

Accepting the fact that they were going to get hopelessly lost trying to find the armory if he kept guessing, he turned to Rush, needing help. Mega Man had discovered that while transformed into a robo-wolf, he could sort of understand Rush and even communicate back, though orders were getting simplified in translation.

 _Rush, find Wily,_ he tried first, making a deep rumbling noise in his throat.

Rush cocked his head. _No smell Wily. No see Wily. No hear Wily. No Wily._

Noticing a small beetle skittering on the floor, Rush began following it curiously.

Mega Man gave an impatient growl. _Focus! Bad guys here! Roll here!_

Rush wagged his tail and scampered up to Mega Man, forgetting the beetle. _Roll here?_

_Yes! Find Roll._

_Find Roll. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Roll._

He put his nose to the floor and began sniffing like a bloodhound. Then Rush lifted his head, panting excitedly, and bounded down a hallway. Mega Man hurried after him, hoping something at last was about to go right.

* * *

After arriving in Hampton Village, Enker, Knight Man, Tornado Man, and Gravity Man met with Dr. Light, who gave them a communicator to contact Mega Man and Roll, then departed toward Castle Cavendish.

Enker tried calling Mega Man first. After a moment, when Mega Man didn't immediately respond, he frowned and called Roll instead.

"Hi Enker!" Roll responded brightly. "So, you're on the case after all, huh? Inspector Headley mentioned you were hoping to be assigned to it! Mega and I are already checking out the castle."

"Oh, uh, hello Roll," Enker said in a subdued voice, not quite expecting the rapid outpouring of words, which was a tonal clash to the anxiety bubbling inside like boiling acid.

"This is cool, huh? It's been too long, I'm _really_ looking forward to hanging out with you again!"

"It has been a long time since we last saw each other, hasn't it? Yes, I will be glad to see you and Mega Man again too—and so will Gravity Man."

There was a slightly awkward beat. Enker looked up at the bright full moon, lost for what to say to fill the silence.

"Hey, I was wondering, maybe we could talk," broke in Roll first, her voice hushed.

"Uh, perhaps…" said Enker evasively with a quick glance at Gravity Man, Knight Man, and Tornado Man, who were fanned out in front of him, searching the forest. "But our priority is to find Time Man."

"Of course!" said Roll quickly, though she sounded hopeful. "We already defeated the 'Mummy-bot' that was terrorizing the villagers. I definitely think Dr. Wily is behind this, he loves cheesy horror-themed stuff."

"Inspector Headley suspected as much. Well, we'll keep our guard up then. Myself and three other R.I.P. officers are searching the forest, then heading toward the castle. Please keep us posted."

"Will do!" responded Roll, ending the transmission.

Gravity Man looked back at Enker, noticing that he looked preoccupied. "What's up?" he called, walking back.

"Nothing," Enker said wearily with a heavy sigh.

"Don't worry, we'll find Time Man," said Gravity Man reassuringly, patting one of Enker's pointed pauldrons.

"I know we will," Enker responded with a weak smile. "Though I bet he's frantic. It's almost midnight and he was supposed to report at six, he's never been late before…" Enker shook his head. "I don't think there's much here in the woods. We'll press on toward the castle, shall we?"

They trudged through the trees. The Robot Masters kept their guard up, but all seemed still, the night only disturbed by the rustle of tree branches and the occasional hoot from an owl.

"Ow, _scheiße_ …" swore Enker, suddenly, clapping a hand to his neck like a human swatting a mosquito. He turned around sharply, his grip tightening on his barrier spear, but no one was behind him.

"What's wrong?" asked Gravity Man.

"Nothing, I just felt some sort of pain in my neck, like something bit me. But it's gone now, no harm done."

"Bit you? Like a vampire?" chortled Knight Man.

"Yeah, like a _vampire,_ " Enker responded with a light laugh. " _Real_ funny."

They walked on, frosty leaves crunching softly beneath their feet as a nightly chill descended upon the forest. Enker's internal temperature began dropping rapidly, kicking in some of his android programming's human behavior, and he began to shiver.

As the shadow of Castle Cavendish loomed into view, Enker halted by a boulder the size of a haystack, feeling very strange. "You three, finish checking the perimeter. I'm going to make a quick report to Inspector Headley, then I'll follow," he instructed in a disconnected voice.

Gravity Man, Knight Man, and Tornado Man waved cheerfully back at him before trooping forward into the mist. Enker watched them go, his eyes transfixed on their bodies, imagining how much energy must be coursing through their wires, then quickly turned his back on them, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and unconsciously rubbing his neck again.

He sank against the boulder, shivering all over. Yet at the same time, he felt powerful, cold, and numb to emotions. Then he stopped shivering and lifted a hand up to his mouth to feel his teeth.

…Fangs?

* * *

"If you had to be a werewolf or a vampire, which would you pick?"

Proto Man was sitting by himself on a stack of prop boxes, his head resting against the cool brick wall behind him. He had posed this question aloud while watching a flock of battontons tease Evelyn Wray's hair and liberally powder her face in makeup. They had just wrapped scene 32, or the 'Vampire Awakening' scene, which took place over a dirty wooden coffin Cut Man and Guts Man had procured and looked as though it had once been occupied.

"Werewolf. Only have to deal with it once a month," Elec Man's voice responded disinterestedly through his communicator. He had just gotten through his usual brief status report of Skull Fortress, and generally didn't have patience for time-wasting hypotheticals like this.

"I think you're thinking about this the wrong way. What if it were _all the time?_ Werewolves may be able to go out during the day and are in tune with nature and stuff, but they're also savage beasts, while vampires can fly and dress dapper, right?"

"Fine, vampire, whatever. I'm not thinking about this at all, as vampires and werewolves are made up and can technically be anything," Elec Man pointed out. "…'Dapper?' Vampires are old-fashioned. Why are _you_ thinking about this? Wily hasn't built anything that can turn robots into werewolves and vampires, has he?"

Proto Man snorted. "Nah, that'd be stupid."

"Then what _is_ he doing?"

"Something stupider," Proto Man said with a smile, glancing over at Dr. Wily, who was sitting on his director's chair and pouring over his script, but didn't elaborate. "Doc's building monster-bots though. There's a Dracu-bot, a Mummy-bot, a ghoulish butler, and something under a tarp Wily won't show me. You know, the usual corny haunted house stuff for him, though he's really getting into it this time." Proto Man paused, scratching his head. "Haven't seen Mummy-bot in awhile, though he did keep wandering off after shoots…don't ask what that means."

"Wasn't going to." There was a slight pause. "If Dr. Wily's trying to scare humans, shouldn't he be building creepy dolls, masked serial killers with knives, or, I dunno…clowns?" he added grudgingly, clearly recalling Proto Man's reference to a Clown Man.

"Good points, but you know that's not how Wily's brain works," said Proto Man with a shrug. "And don't judge, your creator built a mummy-bot and a vampire-bot too."

"But Centum's Robot Masters are much better," Elec Man responded with quick coldness, like a hammer striking an anvil.

"I'll give him that," assented Proto Man, flexing his blaster arm and ruefully remembering how well Pharaoh Man and Shade Man fought. "Anyway, I'm just letting Doc get whatever this is out of his system, though I don't get Wily's plot…it seems more like a cheap B-movie to me."

"All of Wily's plots seem like cheap B-movies."

"Yeah, but usually not _literally. …_ Don't ask what that means either."

"Still wasn't going to."

Proto Man smirked. "I'll let you go," he said, noticing Dr. Wily had twisted around in his chair to glare pointedly at him, indicating that he wanted silence on set. "I'll keep you posted if anything happens. Proto Man out."

* * *

Mega Man felt like they must have woven through almost a half mile of castle corridors when Rush finally found the armory, which was filled with tarnished shields, battle axes, long swords, muskets, halberds, and spears hung in rows from the wall amid half-rotten taxidermy heads of stags and wild boards.

Roll was holding an old claymore with a barbed hilt and a nicked blade, which she was swinging around in wild circles, apparently caught up in a playact from an action movie (perhaps one of Evelyn Wray's), when she caught sight of Mega Man. She gasped, reflexively raising the claymore high above her head with both hands like a gladiator facing a lion.

Mega Man hastily backed away, nervous his head might become lopped off like one of the trophies on the wall, but fortunately Roll had paused, her eyes widening as the claymore hit the castle floor with a noisy clatter.

"Mega, is that _you?"_

Mega Man gave a small growl, taking a hesitant step forward. Behind him, Rush sat in the stone archway, looking extremely proud of himself for a job well done.

Roll rushed over to him, dropping to her knees. "Oh Mega, what happened to ya?" she asked as she ran a hand down his snout, her eyes filled with pity.

Forgetting himself, Mega Man opened his mouth, intending to say, 'I was transformed into this after Time Man bit me' but what came out was, "AreeOOoooooeeegrrrrrrrr—ARRReeeARRR—"

Roll briefly wrapped her arms around his snout to cut him off. "Don't try to speak, yeesh, you're a werewolf now. So that must mean Wily's made something with the ability to transform robots into monster-bots…make a note not to let anything bite me." Her eyes were fixed on Mega Man's fangs, her face twisted in a grimace. "Hate to tell you this, but...you're not a very cute robo-wolf."

Mega Man growled again.

"Aw, cheer up Mega...Doc will figure out how to get you back to normal. But first, we better warn Enker—he and three other R.I.P. officers are on their way," she said, lifting her communicator to her mouth.

"Monster-bots?" Enker repeated with astonishment after she filled him in on what had happened. "Wily's off his rocker, that's for sure. I'll report this to Inspector Headley and tell the other officers to be vigilant of such an attack." There was a small pause. "Are you still in the castle then?"

"Yeah, uh, I am. If you decide to risk the monster-bots, you're welcome to come join us," she added tentatively.

There was a brief pause. "Is that an invitation?"

Roll felt her circuits flip. Mega Man's large triangular ears had flickered toward her, and she quickly turned her back on him.

"Uh, sure!" she stammered softly, her mouth just inches away from her communicator, feeling pleased. "We're in the armory. Just…drop by anytime, I guess!"

"I'm on my way."

The transmission ended.

Feeling a slight fluttery sensation in her chest as a small smile crept onto her face, Roll turned back toward Mega Man, whose expression was 'I-know-what-you're-up-to,' which looked rather bizarre on his grotesque, toothy face.

"You know…now that I've gotten used to the way you look, it could be kinda cool to have a robo-wolf for a big brother," she said absentmindedly, scratching behind his ear.

Mega Man made a play snap at her arm.

"Alright, alright, I get the point!" She said, hastily withdrawing her arm. "At least this time it wasn't my fault! I told you we shouldn't split up! …We should probably call Dr. Light next to let him know what's going on."

But before she had lifted her communicator, both Mega Man's and Rush's ears perked upward. Roll had heard it too, something like the fluttering sound of leathery wings.

"Sounded like a battonton, it could be headed back to Wily," she murmured, her eyes raking the vaulted ceiling—but she could only see the silvery strands of cobwebs swaying in the draft like a tattered mesh canopy. Rush had taken a few steps down another corridor lined with rusty suits of armor with short swords and bucklers, growling softly. "That way, Rush?" she asked.

She had just taken a few steps forward, when they heard another deep brassy groan, the sound of an old lever creaking—

The floor split open underneath them like a trap door—Rush and Roll tumbling through a yawning black square—then the door slammed shut just as abruptly.

Mega Man bounded to the spot, scratching at the floor with his claws—but he only left thin white scratches against the stone tiles.

* * *

Roll and Rush tumbled down a stone shoot, slamming from side to side as it twisted and turned like a water side. She felt something snag sharply against her utility arm in the darkness, there was a brief spark of light, then suddenly the chute ended as she and Rush were dumped out onto a cold hard floor.

They had landed in a dungeon cell the size of a toolshed, empty except for a withered wooden cot in one corner. Roll held up her utility arm, which gave a few more feeble sparks, a deep scratch in the white titanium as though made by a titanium spike and centered directly over her communicator. "What the hell did _that?"_ she muttered aloud in astonishment, fiddling around with the ruined circuitry. Rush gave a small whine. "Damn…Well, at least Enker is going to pass along the message!"

Roll walked over to the iron bars of the dungeon cell, which were rusted through, and with little effort was able to snap a few bars in half as though they were icicles. They stepped out into the narrow stone hallway then filed out of the dungeon, alert and wary to any sound.

They wound their way in what Roll thought must be the cellars of the castle, the long corridors windowless, the floor earthen like tunnels. She was searching for a staircase that could lead her back up to Mega Man when she came across a gloomy circular chamber filled with old wooden coffins.

 _"_ Yuck! Looks like a burial vault," she commented to Rush as they stepped inside.

"Roll?" called a soft voice.

A figure stepped out of the shadows, his face pale in the chink of moonlight shining through a small square window from several floors above, a spear in his hand glinting.

Rush began growling.

"Easy boy, it's just Enker, you remember him," Roll chided, pulling Rush back by the scruff of his neck. Rush stopped growling, but his teeth remained bared in the manner he usually reserved for mail courier drones. She looked over at Enker, smiling happily. "Hey, did you fall through a trap door too? It's a good thing I found you, it's like a maze down here. Something took out my communicator—we need to be careful, I think there might be another monster-bot down here!"

"Hmm, yes," murmured Enker, his eyes flickering down to her utility arm, then up to her face. "I'm afraid this way is a dead end, no pun intended. There's no way out except through the ground level windows, which lead to the castle courtyard."

Roll looked up at the ceiling. "That doesn't look big enough for us to fit through, even if Rush flew us up there. We'll have to find a different way."

She glanced sideways at him. Enker had been strangely distant when he had called earlier, not at all his usual playful self—but now there was a captivating intensity in his eyes, and he looked at her with rapt attention, as though she were about to tell a very interesting story.

"So, together again, just like on the moon," she said leadingly, turning her back coyly on him, her boots echoing softly in the chamber.

"So it appears. …Do you think about that mission often?"

Roll spun back around to face him. The honest answer was 'no,' but Roll felt that wouldn't sound good if her goal was to score a potential date.

Enker's lips twitched in a small smile. "I don't either," he admitted before she had answered. "I'm afraid we've both been busy. I need someone to keep me on track so I don't fall to pieces."

Roll laughed softly. "You mean like a partner?"

Enker's smile vanished, his expression still and alert. "We made a good team on the moon," he said, looking her directly in the eye. "I think you're a very special robot. I am lucky to have you as a friend."

There was a slightly withdrawn expression on his face, as though he was hesitating about something—had he picked up on what she was hinting at and was about to reject her, or was he nervous about going forward with his own feelings? Roll felt hesitant about bringing up the subject herself. It had been a long time, after all. What if he was interested in someone else?

"Well, I was kinda wondering if you wanted to try being _more_ than friends," she stated boldly, hoping to draw whatever was on his mind out into the open. "I just felt…we kinda connected, didn't we?"

"Yes, the thought had crossed my mind, back then," he said, still looking at her with the same torn expression, as though of two minds. "I don't know if this is the right time to talk about this…"

"Oh…" said Roll, bracing herself. "Have your feelings changed? Is there…someone else you like?"

Enker seemed not to have heard her, yet he seemed to have come to a decision internally. His eyes had gone into a sort of trance, locked on her wrist. He held out a hand toward her.

Roll's spirits lifted instantly. This might be going her way after all. Curious to see where this was going, her pulsar pulsar pounding, she took a few steps toward him, holding out her own hand.

His fingers were cold as they twined gently with hers. He lifted her hand up as though to kiss it—a gesture Roll had always found old-fashioned in movies—that was, until she felt two sharp pinpricks of pain in her wrist like icy thorns piercing her titanium skin.

"Ow! Enker, what the hell?!" bellowed Roll, ripping her arm out of his grip, the back of her boots bumping against a coffin.

Enker took a few steps back from her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. For the first time, Roll noticed the pearly white fangs in his mouth. "I'm really sorry about this—but now you'll be under Dr. Wily's control too."

Resuming his growling, Rush lunged at Enker, but Roll caught him by the tail just in time. "No I'm not—shit, did another monster-bot get you? I told you back on the moon I couldn't be reprogrammed, remember?"

Now that she had a closer look at him, she realized Enker wasn't quite as attractive as she had last seen him. His skin had become a grayish white like limestone, his face gaunt with pronounced shadows under his eyes.

Enker started at her. For a moment, the intensity in his eyes faltered. "I'm not in control of myself—I didn't mean any of that—" he stammered desperately, clutching the side of his helmet as he took another few steps away from her.

"Don't worry about it—we'll get help!" Roll said quickly, still holding Rush back with one hand, reaching out with the other.

But as she went to lay a hand on his arm, Enker suddenly transformed into a blue and gold bat, his barrier spear clattering to the ground, and flapped into the rafters of the room then out through an open archway, squeaking softly, Rush barking after him.

"Wait, Enker! Come back!" she shouted vainly after him. Then she froze, a realization hitting her like a sudden douse of ice water. If Enker had become a vampire-bot and bit her, then—

She stood on one of the coffins to look at her distored reflection in one of the polished shields hanging on the wall. Sure enough, Roll's canine teeth had lengthened into fangs, and she had the same corpse-like pallor that Enker now had.

"Bleh, I was never into vampire stuff," Roll muttered to Rush, pushing at a fang with her finger. "On the other hand, this is just like cover of Nightmare Fuel's latest album, _Blood of the Damned_. Cool. Plus, I can turn into a bat! And I guess I can't complain after seeing what poor Mega was turned into."

She leapt lightly to the floor again. "But now at least _two_ R.I.P. officers have been taken, and neither Mega Man nor I can call for help." She thought on this for a moment, biting her lip—forgetting for a moment that she had grown fangs and cursing in pain. Then she turned toward Rush. "Sorry, boy—I'm going to have to try to follow Enker—which means I'm going to have to leave you behind. Don't let any Bad-bots get their hands on Enker's barrier spear! Mega and I will come back for you after we've defeated Wily."

Rush gave a short affirmative bark, then Roll closed her eyes. After a moment of intense concentration, she finally succeeded in transforming into a bat. Flapping her titanium wings, which had the same vanilla and crimson colors of her titanium jumpsuit, she zoomed through the archway as Rush stood guard over the spear.

* * *

The movie set had moved into the top of a rickety old tower, which swayed ominously in the breeze, the conical roof filled with holes, where they were to film the scene in which Evelyn Wray's character (who was just referred to as 'person' in the script) was to confront the dreaded 'Dracu-bot'. The round room was lavishly decorated in scarlet curtains, candelabras filled with guttering candles, an old pipe organ, and piles of fake skulls.

"You dare break into my lair? I, Dracu-bot, am King of the Vampire-bots!" announced Dracu-bot directly into the camera.

"You're no king, you're a monster!" shouted Evelyn Wray, pointing at him.

Dracu-bot crossed over to a tower window. He had a gray, gargoylish face with a hooked nose, thick brows, and pronounced windows peak, his high-collared cape lined in red velvet. His beady red eyes stared broodingly into the misty valley below. "They may call me a monster, but who truly is the monster? I, who have created so many powerful monster-bots as a gift ot mankind, or those simpleton villagers who mock us while wallowing in their own stupidity?"

"Subtle," Proto Man whispered to Dr. Wily.

Dr. Wily waved his hand at him to be quiet. "Cut!" he shouted sharply. "This isn't working! I'm not feeling the rage toward the villagers!"

"You're overacting, way too dramatic," murmured Gilliam to Dracu-bot.

You're not in this shot, _Gilliam,"_ Dracu-bot retorted shortly.

Proto Man singled Evelyn Wray out as Dr. Wily and Dracu-bot began arguing furiously about character motivations for the scene, careful to avoid treading in the pools of wax developing on the floor. "If this is getting too intense, you can quit if you want. I can get you out of the castle, no explanation necessary."

"Are you kidding me? Mr. Wily is the best director I have ever had!" Evelyn Wray said, her eyes shining. "I've never met someone so passionate about their work!"

"…That's one way of putting it," said Proto Man, shrugging.

* * *

Mega Man dashed from room to room in the castle, hoping to find any sort of staircase to the castle basement. He had heard Roll and Rush sliding down through a stone chute, their cries of surprise fading into the earth, but nothing more. What had happened to them, and what was he going to do next?

He had just raced through a corridor filled portraits of stern-looking humans in medieval dress, their eyes seemingly following his every movement—when he stopped short in the entrance hall, a pair of familiar voices heading his way.

"I can't find Mummy-bot anywhere. Wily should have put a tracking device on that bot," grumbled one voice.

"Perhaps he's _under wraps,"_ responded the other.

Cut Man and Guts Man. Growling, Mega Man stalked to the castle door, butting it open with his head.

At the sight of Mega Man, both Cut Man and Guts Man jumped, Guts Man nearly falling off the drawbridge into the dark water below.

"Look!" exclaimed Cut Man, pointing directly at him. "That's Mega Man! Wolf-bot must have got him!"

"Ha ha ha, now he's just an ugly mangy mutt!" hooted Guts Man.

Mega Man growled, the hackles on his neck rising, and he pelted toward Guts Man, mouth open wide.

"Don't let him bite you!" Cut Man warned shrilly as both he and Guts Man backed away from the drawbridge as Mega Man lunged.

One of Guts Man's giant hands closed around Mega Man snout, slamming his jaws shut. Mega Man snarled and thrashed, but even as a robo-wolf Guts Man was much stronger than him. At the same time, he heard the slither of metal links sliding across the ground, then something cold wrapped around his neck.

"Okay, that will hold him!" he heard Cut Man call to Guts Man.

Guts Man let go of Mega Man and they both stepped quickly back.

Shaking his head off, Mega Man lunged again, but was jerked instantly back onto the ground. Looking over his shoulder, he realized he was tied to a massive stone monolith by a short steel chain that had come from the drawbridge. He chomped down hard on the chain, hoping to break it, but it was about as useful and comfortable as chewing on aluminum foil. Then, straining against the chain, he snapped uselessly at Cut Man and Guts Man who were just out of reach.

Guts Man and Cut Man roared with laughter, Cut Man clutching his sides while Guts Man was bent over pounding the ground, shaking the earth so much that small pebbles scattered away from them.

Flattening his ears against his helmet, Mega Man growled fiercely at them.

Cut Man was the first to recover. His wheezy laugher dying down, he drew a _Rolling Cutter_ from his arm, its blade flashing in the moonlight as he clacked it together. "This will be like shooting fish in a barrel…"

But Guts Man grabbed Cut Man's blaster arm and held it back. "No you idiot, he'll trick you into cutting the chain! Let's just leave him here like the chained dog he is!"

Still snickering loudly at Mega Man's predicament, Cut Man and Guts Man strutted back over the drawbridge toward the castle.

"Hey Mega Mutt, be sure to give any visitors a bite!" Guts Man called jeeringly back.

"Won't Wily be happy when he hears what we did with blue dweeb?" he heard Cut Man say gleefully as the castle doors thudded closed behind them.

Mega Man snorted in frustration. Damn it, outsmarted by Cut Man and Guts Man! Could this night get any worse?

He tore at the chain again, and made an effort to pull it loose from the monolith, but it was futile. Out of ideas, Mega Man curled up gloomily on the cold hard ground to wait for someone to come find him...and he hoped that someone wasn't Dr. Wily.

* * *

Cut Man and Guts Man barged through the tower door, which bounced wildly off its hinges with a boom like a thunderclap. "Dr. Wily, Dr. Wily—" Cut Man called excitedly.

"IDIOTS!" screamed Dr. Wily without warning. He was sitting at his purple folding director's chair, but stood up and turned on them so fast that it fell over with a clatter, his face turning brick red. "Did you not see the light?"

"Duh...what light?" asked Guts Man blankly, looking around the tower.

Behind a camera manned by battontons, Evelyn Wray was shooting them a dirty look with her hands on her hips, her bright blue eyes flashing. Dracu-bot was shaking his head commiseratingly at her side, muttering "This is why you never hire amateurs!" Gilliam the butler, who was standing against a wall with his hands clasped behind his back, raised a disapproving brow at them.

Vein pulsing his forehead, Dr. Wily swooped over toward them like a hawk, lab coat whipping behind him. Guts Man and Cut Man shrank back nervously. Dr. Wily stopped before them, shaking with rage, and jabbed a bony finger toward a red wall mounted signal light outside the tower door, similar to what industrial complexes used for safety. Nailed underneath it was a plastic sign reading 'DO NOT ENTER WHEN LIGHT IS ON.' Cut Man and Guts Man blinked up at the light, not understanding.

"We were filming!" Dr. Wily shrieked, his voice ringing against the castle walls. "This scene is pivotal to the plot. Very emotional, very dramatic—And now we're going to have to start again! All that film, wasted!"

"But Dr. Wily—" protested Cut Man, gesturing behind him and intent on telling him about Mega Man.

But Dr. Wily wouldn't listen. "Get out! Out!" he shouted, throwing a film reel caster at them, which bounced off Guts Man's broad chest. They hastily withdrew from the tower before anything else was thrown at them, and Dr. Wily slammed the door behind then so hard spiders and chunks from the termite-riddled rafters rained upon them.

Guts Man and Cut Man gazed back up at the light, which was still glowing a dull red in the darkness. "…I guess we gotta wait until they've finished," mumbled Guts Man as they sat down on the ground outside the door.

* * *

Mega Man hadn't been waiting long when he heard footsteps approaching him from out of the forest. One of his ears twitched automatically upward, listening hard. Three pairs of boots were walking across the castle grounds, titanium by the sounds of it…

He stood up, pointing his nose toward the leafless trees while feeling extremely vulnerable as three Robot Masters stepped out of the forest, brushing brambles and leaves from their armor. But Mega Man relaxed as he recognized the broad shouldered form of Gravity Man, who had a small, easy going smile on his face.

Gravity Man was accompanied by a Robot Master in lime green armor, wing-like flairs adorning his helmet like a valkyrie, a small wind turbine propeller fanning out from the wrist of his blaster arm. The other had royal blue armor designed in plates, a barbute-style helmet with a tall crest and a 'Y'-shaped opening for his mouth and eyes (which were obscured in shadow), a kite shield in one arm, a spiked ball and chain in the other, which dangled inches from the ground.

"Have you seen Enker, Tornado Man?" Gravity Man asked, addressing the officer in green armor.

"Think he's going to meet us inside, isn't that what you heard, Knight Man?" responded Tornado Man.

Knight Man nodded. "So this is Castle Cavendish— _aahhh! What is that?!"_

The Robot Masters had spotted Mega Man, all three of them starting violently, Knight Man's armor clattering noisily.

"Er...someone's idea of a robo-guard dog?" said Tornado Man tentatively, peering down at Mega Man. "I thought this place was abandoned."

"But why's it tied up?" asked Knight Man, still eyeing Mega Man's fangs with mild concern.

"It looks kinda like Mega Man," said Tornado Man, squinting down at him. "Maybe he got a new robo-dog?"

"Aw, I liked Rush," said Gravity Man.

"Yeah, and this one's a bit of an ugly brute," agreed Knight Man. "Poor thing."

"Yeah, kinda like Dr. Light didn't have enough material to build a robo-dog and substituted in parts from a grizzly bear and a crocodile," said Tornado Man.

…They thought Mega Man was a pet. Not only that, they also apparently though he couldn't understand them. This was humiliating.

Wanting very badly to communicate to them and show he was more than just a robo-dog, Mega Man tried to bark at them in what he hoped was a very self-aware way, but he could only manage deep growls and strangled howls, which sounded very threatening.

The R.I.P. officers backed up, wary, Knight Man raising his shield defensively, Tornado Man his blaster arm, and Gravity Man planting his feet firmly apart as though ready to use _Gravity Hold._

Deciding his pride couldn't sink any lower, Mega Man sat quickly back on his haunches and began vigorously wagging his tail. _Let's start this over,_ he mentally urged them. _I'm a_ nice _robo-wolf, so don't panic or get all blaster happy..._

It seemed to partially work, for they approached him again, Gravity Man walking straight up to him.

 _"_ Careful, Gravity Man," Knight Man said uneasily.

"Why? It's obviously one of Mega Man's dogs, I'm sure he's harmless. Easy there," said Gravity Man, patting Mega Man on the head. Mega Man continued wagging his tail, feeling completely foolish. "See? Harmless. One of my contractors had a great dane like this. Looked fierce, but she was a real sweetheart. Wouldn't hurt a kitten." He looked at Mega Man thoughtfully. "Kind of cruel to tie such a big robo-dog up outside on such a short leash…"

Mega Man's ears perked at this. He held still as Gravity Man fumbled with the knot around his neck, then finally, he was untied—and even better, he had allies now, though he must warn them.

He bounded away from the stone monolith and began pawing at the ground, hoping to write a warning in the dirt with his claws.

"…What's it doing?" muttered Knight Man.

"I dunno. Digging holes or something," answered Tornado Man, shrugging. "Might have a few bugs, maybe that's why he was tied up."

"Should we tie him back up then?" asked Knight Man doubtfully.

Mega Man froze worriedly, his head flickering over to Knight Man.

"Nah, he's harmless," persisted Gravity Man. "Let him stretch his joints, it'll be good for him."

Relieved, Mega Man decided he'd think of another way to warn to them. Morse! They'd understand that! Spying a fallen branch the size and length of a walking stick, he seized it in his jaws and began tapping it against the monolith.

But the R.I.P. Robot Masters were still not paying attention to him.

"Sorry, no time to play fetch, we're on duty," Knight Man told him in the same sort of tone one used toward toddlers, his voice sounding distant.

Mega Man whipped his head around, and realized the officers were entering the castle—and shutting him out. Dropping the stick, he darted quickly toward the door as Gravity Man began to close it, wedging his nose desperately into the crack.

Gravity Man smiled down at him sympathetically. "Sorry, castles are no places for pets, and if I ever saw an outside dog, it'd be you."

With a sharp shove, Mega Man was rebuffed from the door back on the drawbridge, the door closing with a solid _clunk_ and the sound of a wooden security bar scraping into place.

"Better stay out there. I'm sure Mega Man will come get you soon," he heard Gravity Man's voice again from the other side.

Mega Man rubbed his bruised nose with the back of a paw indignantly. Then he bounded back up to the door, scratching it with his front paws while whining, but the Robot Masters didn't come back. Mega Man hung his head. If Dr. Wily turned them into monster-bots too, they wouldn't be able to resist the monster-bot programming.

Then Mega Man sat bolt upright with a single thought: Dr. Light. Maybe Dr. Light could reverse his transformation, then he could get back into the castle.

He bounded off into the dark forest, making a b-line toward Hampton Village.

**_To be continued…_ **


	25. Night of the Living Monster Bots, Part 3

The scene in which Evelyn Wray's character confronted Dracu-bot culminated into a fight, Evelyn Wray brandishing a short silver dagger etched with crucifixes, Dracu-bot a long-stemmed gilded candelabra.

Filming had to be halted a few times as Dr. Wily wanted to capture different angles, and both Evelyn Wray and Proto Man had to coach Dracu-bot on how to stage fight convincingly (Dracu-bot repeatedly confessing that he was worried he might hurt the star while Evelyn Wray insisted warmly that she had years of experience in stunt fighting)

Finally, they reached the end with Evelyn Wray's character cornered on a balcony while Dracu-bot advanced. All looked lost for her as the balcony began to shudder and quake beneath her, when Evelyn Wray suddenly seized a dead vine hanging from the roof and swung back into the tower past Dracu-bot as the balcony broke apart and tumbled down the side of the tower.

"Uh—!" Proto Man called out, too late to prevent anything from happening.

Dr. Wily yelled "Cut!" and both Dracu-bot and Gilliam applauded.

"It's okay, it was just a stunt balcony," Evelyn Wray told Proto Man airily, tossing her hair. "I do this thing all the time!"

The balcony collapsing hadn't been a planned stunt at all, but as Dr. Wily seemed satisfied with the shot and made no call to repeat it, Proto Man decided to let it go.

After finishing the scene, the Battontons began breaking down the set and whisking equipment off. Cut Man and Guts Man attempted to get Dr. Wily's attention as they left the tower to transition filming back to the laboratory, but Dr. Wily only lost his temper, forbidding them to interrupt until the film was finished.

Proto Man gave Cut Man and Guts Man a helpless shrug as he followed Dr. Wily into the laboratory, ignoring their glares.

Evelyn Wray was watching Proto Man with narrowed eyes, a small her face, then snapped her fingers suddenly. "I know why you look familiar! You're a Proton Man impersonator!"

A hot, prickly sense of humiliation washed over Proto Man as he remembered being mobbed by tourists on Broadcast Boulevard.

"I'm not an impersonator, I'm the original Proton Man—and it's Proto without an N!" he burst out angrily. Then, controlling himself, he added, "Is there a way to get them to stop, like, a restraining order or something?"

Evelyn Wray just laughed. "You've really made an impression on the world if people are willing to imitate you on the street just to earn a few bucks! Consider it flattering. Lighten up, kid!"

"That's usually my line," Proto Man muttered to himself.

While Evelyn Wray went on break, Proto Man joined Dr. Wily at a computer console that was connected to ten different video screens. Dr. Wily sat on a swivel chair before them, completely engrossed in reviewing the footage captured that night, presumably assembling it into a rough cut.

"So, uh, I didn't know how much you were into directing," Proto Man broke in a soft, tentative voice, for Dr. Wily's face was drawn in severe concentration.

To his surprise, Dr. Wily pushed away from the video monitors, his light blue eyes piercing. "Proto, I never told you about my childhood."

"I never asked," Proto Man replied bluntly, hoping this was the end to the conversation.

Dr. Wily gazed broodingly over the figure beneath the tarp.

"My parents didn't think my career choice was suitable," he said in a soft, flippant whisper, almost to himself. "That my ideas would never work, and I needed to grow up and act like an adult. They liked stupid, mundane events like golfing and boating."

He gave a hearty, disdainful sniff, his mustache twitching. "But I had deeper ambitions than their humdrum idea of a life. I saw inspiration where they couldn't. It was through movies that I realized my true calling. _The Creeping Horror, The Walking Bog People_ , _It Happened on a Tuesday, Revenge of the Atomatons, Piranha-Men from The Future, Attack of the Brain Master—_ " he began listing in the same sort of solemn whisper as though naming beloved heroes, his eyes distant.

"Aren't those all B-movies?" Proto Man responded before he could stop himself, smiling slightly.

Dr. Wily's eyes flashed superiorly. "Not so! Haven't you worked for me long enough to know what science can make possible? You are sounding exactly like those buffoons who call themselves critics! The pea-brained nitwits who mock anyone with any sort of imagination!"

"Hey, I meant no offense, Doc—"

Dr. Wily had drawn himself up self-righteously, his nostrils flaring. "Let them make fun of me…let them laugh! Nobody knows the genius I am! Ever since I was a little boy the other children never understood me! I never even had toys like the other kids…and now I'll build all the toys I want—robot toys! And _I'll_ control them."

And Dr. Wily began laughing as he threw a switch, fresh currents of electricity blazing down the cords and into the veiled figure like veins of light, a wave of heat permeating the drafty room.

Proto Man waited until Dr. Wily's laughter died down. Despite the dancing light, the room felt still with decades of bitterness. Dr. Wily was glowering down at the figure. He had just divulged something very private to Proto Man, something Proto Man doubted any other being knew the full extent of.

"…You're unloading some deep shit on me Doc, I'm gonna have to charge a therapist fee," responded Proto Man lightly after a moment in an attempt to ease the tension. When Dr. Wily remained stone faced and pensive, he added, "…Is this the real reason why we're not trying to take over the world?"

Dr. Wily's face snapped toward him, his expression grim. "No, we are not trying to take over the world because you are too damaged," he said, prodding Proto Man's injured shoulder. "I will resume my life's work _after_ I've finished your repairs. The movie is just to spread horror, a teaser to the true nightmare I have envisioned."

"I see," Proto Man said doubtfully. "But why vampires and werewolves and stuff?"

Dr. Wily gave a small sigh. "Well, one night while working on your repairs, I beheld the full moon and had this stroke of brilliance to create an army of Monster-bots to transform all of mankind into raging robo-beasts! Imagine, the great Dr. Light, turned into a mindless beast, destroys his own creation, Mega Man," he sneered as though quoting a headline from his minds eye and laughing with relish. Then he looked over at Proto Man, his face falling with another forlorn sigh. "Alas, it only works on robots."

Folding his arms behind his back, Dr. Wily turned away from Proto Man and crossed over to where Dracu-bot and Gilliam the Butler were waiting in a corner of the laboratory.

This wiped the smile off of Proto Man's face. He hurried to catch up with Dr. Wily. "Let me get this straight. You're telling me you built robots that can turn stuff into vampires and werewolves, and all we are doing with them is making a movie? Why don't you turn them loose in downtown New York and issue demands?"

Dr. Wily waved him off. "This is about striking an impression!"

"You'd make more money."

"Once the world sees what I'm capable of on film, money will no longer be of concern."

Proto Man decided to let it go. "You're the auteur," he said, still thinking Dr. Wily just really wanted to make this movie.

Dr. Wily nodded. "Besides, I told you if any of R.I.P. officers meddled, they'd be sorry," he snickered, wagging his finger.

"Dr. Wily is right!" Dracu-bot announced his his grand, carrying voice, straightening his cravat. "Just before my first scene I had slipped out for a bite and encountered a dashing robo-officer dressed quite handsomely in blue and gold armor, a spiked helmet, and a spear!"

Proto Man recognized the description instantly and wheeled toward Dracu-bot like a hunting dog training on a sent. "Enker? That bot Roll likes? He's here?"

"Yes but he is no longer of concern!" Dracu-bot said proudly. "He has now been enthralled into doing our bidding, whereby he shall now defend this castle and its lord, Dr. Wily, while I make my acting debut along side the talented Ms. Wray!"

"Don't be such a braggart, Dracu-bot," Gilliam murmured snidely. "You're not the only Monster-bot in this castle; you weren't even the first to turn an intruder."

"Shut up, _Gilliam,_ " Dracu-bot hissed back.

Ignoring this prattle, Proto Man demanded in a low deadly voice through clenched teeth, "Where is he?"

* * *

Mega Man found bounding through the forrest on all fours a bit faster than he would have on two legs, and was low enough to the ground to easily follow deer trails through the dense undergrowth, dead leaves making a soft carpet beneath his paws. Despite everything, Mega Man couldn't help but appreciate the tranquility at experiencing nature from this viewpoint. The barren trees were almost beautiful in their way, with earthy smells of bark and pine trees filling the night, the moonlight filtering innocently through the forked branches above and sparkling on frosty weeds. Still, he was anxious to get back to his original form as soon as possible and save the unwitting R.I.P. officers from whatever weird fate Dr. Wily had in store for them.

Ahead, he could see the main gate in the stone wall encircling Hampton Village. He slowed his gait as he approached the opening, thinking of how best to reach the inn Dr. Light was staying in, when a beam of light suddenly clicked on, shining directly into Mega Man's eyes.

It belonged to a flashlight, which was carried by one of the local humans who had been ambling home after a night in the pub in neighboring village. He gave a thin cry, edging away from Mega Man, his eyes bulging.

"Aaahh! Don't eat me!" the human begged, dropping the flashlight he had been carrying and edging away. Then he turned on the spot and hollering at the top of his lungs as he ran into the village. "Werewolf! _Werewolf!_ "

Despite the early hour, his cry was echoed throughout the village. After being terrorized by Mummy-bot, the villagers had sat up with eager anticipation for a follow up event to take place in their normally boring home town. Mega Man could pick out the doors in the village slamming shut, while footsteps pounded against cobblestone. Then a pack of humans, shouting feverishly as though at a sports match, stormed toward him, hurling bricks and bits of trash at him while shouting, _"Get the Werewolf!"_

Mega Man fled back into the tangled undergrowth of the forest as a thrown bottle smashed against his armor, spattering his fur on his face with flecks of cider. Hiding beneath a mossy log, he watched the villagers scatter to look for him.

Putting Hampton Village on high alert was not part of the plan. Groaning dismally to himself, Mega Man waited tensely for the villagers to pass, counting each minute as a higher probability that he'd return to a castle full of savage wolf-bots as a clocktower tolled three-o clock.

Finally, after the last of the villagers' flashlights had disappeared into the forest and their shouts had become distant, Mega Man edged carefully from underneath the log, then scampered into the now deserted village.

Learning his lesson from how the villagers had reacted to his monster appearance, Mega Man decided he didn't want to give Dr. Light a bad shock _or_ have an electro-neutralizer pulse gun drawn on him by bursting in unexpectedly. Surely Dr. Light had heard by now that there was a werewolf prowling the outskirts of the town—but how to let him know that the werewolf was actually he, Mega Man?

The answer came to him as he passed a small artist booth standing beneath a street light (presumably the artist left to join the mob chasing after the werewolf).

Mega Man carefully tore off a clean sheet of paper from the artist's sketchbook with his teeth, then settled down on the sidewalk to write a message to Dr. Light. This was difficult to accomplish as it was not easy grasping the thin strips of wood between his curling fangs nor seeing what he was writing over his long furry nose. Mega Man snapped several pencils in the attempt, but finally managed 'HELP I'M A WOLF' in scraggly letters of various sizes. Then, as delicately as he could, he gathered the paper within his jaws and hurried toward the inn.

Fortunately, the inn's front door was unlocked and could be pushed open with a gentle butt from Mega Man's head. The receptionist was busy on the phone as she animatedly recounted the night's events to a friend in Cornwall while absentmindedly knotting the inn phone's curly cord around her fingers. Mega Man edged carefully on his belly past the front desk, certain if she caught sight of him she'd shriek and start throwing guest ledgers at him. Then he climbed awkwardly up a wooden staircase to the second floor, accidentally marring the finish with his ungainly claws.

His shadow loomed imposingly in front of him as he crossed the creaking floorboards of the second floor corridor, but it appeared none of the residents were awake except for the room at the end, in which light was coming from under the door at the end of the hallway. Mega Man picked up the smell of freshly brewed tea leaves and could hear someone typing rapidly on a computer while a CD player played a piano sonata from Beethoven on the other side of the door.

Mega Man nosed the badly crumpled message under the door. Then he pawed gently at the door and whined in a good imitation of Rush (albeit his voice was much deeper).

The music stopped, there were footsteps, the rasping of a key, then the door creaked open a fraction of an inch, one of Dr. Light's dark eyes peering out suspiciously.

"Good heavens, Mega Man?"

Mega Man wagged his titanium-linked tail once, hanging his head and flattening his ears.

Dr. Light opened the door wider and crouched down, holding Mega Man's large shaggy head between his hands. "Oh dear, how dreadful! I had heard the commotion from outside my window, but never would have dreamed—this must be the work of Wily's inventions. You better come with me before any more of these silly villagers see you, I'll see if there is anything I can do."

* * *

Gravity Man, Knight Man, and Tornado Man had become lost while exploring Castle Cavendish. None of them were on high alert, however, for Enker had been keeping in contact and assured them that the castle was harmless and that he himself would soon find Time Man.

Gravity Man was wandering across an overgrown courtyard containing a dead weeping willow, a shallow pond filled with algae and cattails, and a wide assortment of early weeds shooting up just in time for spring.

"Reminds me of a witch's garden," Gravity Man mused to himself, smiling.

As Gravity Man turned on the spot admiring the courtyard, he did not notice a muddy green robot with gills, a rubbery face, and webbed fingers rise out of the pond, watching him with sideways blinking eyes. Then, after catching it out of the corner of his eye, Gravity Man was too late to react as the Creature-bot spat a stream of sludge, completely drenching him in a wave of gooey slime.

For a brief moment, Gravity Man thought he had been splattered in an extremely corrosive acid, for it felt like his circuits were dissolving into a pool as he sank rapidly toward the ground. Yet there was no pain and the strange sensation soon faded, leaving Gravity Man crouched on the ground in a neckless egg-shaped body with long thin legs and stubby arms ending in webbed feet. In surprise, he tried to shout, but instead his throat expanded like a balloon.

_Ribbit!_

With a satisfied _ssshhhhhiiishhh_ noise through its needle-like teeth, the Creature-bot sank back into the murky pond in a stream of bubbles.

Not far off, Knight Man was inspecting a collection of armor of a headless knight mounted on a battle horse, wondering what century it could possibly have come from, when the knight's ax fell silently forward.

Knight Man's head fell from his shoulders and hit the floor with a clang and rolled across the flagstones until it bumped against a wall. Despite being completely severed from its power core, Knight Man' head remained powered on while an echoing laugh issued from the collection of armor. The horse part of it reared upward, then took off with a clattering of hooves down a corridor.

"Hey! …Hey!" Knight Man called after it as his body wandered off into the castle, its arms outstretched before it.

Gravity Man, hearing the disturbance, hopped over to Knight Man's side and croaked in commiseration. Both of them were extremely confused, and either of them were sure who had it worse.

Tornado Man never saw what happened to Gravity Man nor Knight Man. He had wandered off on his own into a graveyard, which seemed creepy and gloomy enough when bodies began clawing their way out of the earth. They belonged to a horde of decrepit robots, most of which were missing limbs—or had eyeballs dangling out of their sockets and lower jaw hinges hanging on by a singular screw—their armor rusted through and exposed wires sparking.

Groaning ominously, the robots shambled toward Tornado Man.

"Uh….Gravity Man? Knight Man? Enker? Can someone help in the graveyard?" he called into his communicator. No one responded. Tornado Man shifted his footing hastily as more hands popped out of the earth and began groping for his ankles. "Just me against an army of disgusting scrap-bots? Typical," he grumbled, raising his blaster arm.

* * *

Dr. Light lead Mega Man to a large curved-roof shed he was temporarily borrowing from the village as a makeshift laboratory.

"This is truly strange, your entire titanium framework has completely restructured itself as a robo-wolf!" remarked Dr. Light said as he looked through the diagnostics of Mega Man's systems.

Mega Man was crouched upon an old saw dust covered work bench, his head between his clawed paws. Dr. Light had opened the diamond-shaped front panel on his helmet to run a cable from Mega Man' electronic brain to his computer, thereby allowing Mega Man to communicate.

 _How is this possible?_ Mega Man transmitted in scrawling text across a green screen.

Dr. Light had to think about this for a full moment, a hand stroking his beard as he mulled over the diagnostics. "It appears Wily has found a way to exploit the transitory morphic array components in your system."

Mega Man sat up and cocked his head at Dr. Light, looking puzzled.

"That is to say, technology that allows a robot to alter part or all of their form temporarily," Dr. Light explained quickly, turning to face Mega Man. "—Like what Rush uses to transform into different vehicle modes, what you have in your plasma cannon to copy weapons, and what I believe Roll uses in her utility arm. It's quite common. In fact, you will find these so called 'morpher' components in most specialized robots, especially Robot Masters. But I've never seen an outside influence force a target to morph into a completely different form, such as a robo-wolf in your case."

_Lotos did something like this. You don't think Wily's still meddling with alien stuff again, do you?_

"It's possible, or was perhaps inspired by it. I'm afraid Wily does not observe ethical bounds while pursing his mad science experiments."

Mega Man let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a growl, a puff of saw dust flying off the work bench. _But how do Time Man and myself change back?_

Dr. Light gestured woefully at his limited equipment. "Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do here in this shed to reverse this. Your form is being controlled remotely by the original Wolf-bot, however the destruction of the monster-bots will also reverse the hold they have on you and release you from your monster state."

_Just like in the movies. If that's all it takes, then I better get moving. Time Man is still on the loose, and who knows who else he's bitten by now. And if Dr. Wily unleashes these 'monster-bots' on the world—_

"—It will be chaos," Dr. Light finished before Mega Man's thought had fully scrawled across the screen. "But you must be careful, Mega Man. As a robo-wolf, you are far less powerful."

_I know. Thanks for the help. Looks like I need to find another way to sneak into the castle. I may be stuck this way for now, but maybe I can use this form as my advantage._

He shook off the wires connected to his head, then leaped to the shed's muddy floor. Dr. Light slid open the door for him, and he pounded back toward into forest, this time careful to skirt around any villagers on the hunt for werewolves.

* * *

Enker was experiencing the most bizarre night of his career.

Time Man was trapped in the body of the beast, he had been reprogrammed as a vampiric servant of Dr. Wily, he had been hunting his own officers, Proto Man was currently lecturing him about dating a bot he was no longer interested in, meanwhile thoughts of tenderly unwrapping Proto Man's scarf, biting his neck, and sucking out his energy kept invading Enker's mind.

"I respect her ability to make her own choices," Proto Man stated in a low voice, torch light flashing off his visor, his face twisted angrily and only inches away from Enker's own, "—But if you try to do anything skeevy like hypnosis or anything—"

They were in the castle kitchen where Enker had finally tracked down the robo-wolf that was once Time Man. Time Man sat curled at his feet, his head between his paws as Enker scratched him consolingly behind his ears.

It was difficult to keep his eyes on Proto Man's visor, which forced Enker to look at his own off-putting reflection with ghostly skin and sunken eyes. Instead, Enker's eyes kept drifting down to Proto Man's jugulars, the gentle flow of plasma coursing through it driving all other thoughts out of Enker's mind.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Proto Man asked in irritation, finally taking a pause in his rant to notice Enker's divided attention.

"I'm having a very lovely fantasy of biting your neck," Enker admitted bluntly.

"Huh?"

"I can't help it. Vampire programming. Normally I wouldn't consider without a dinner invitation at least."

"Don't change the subject!" Proto Man snapped. "And I'm warning you, if you even _look_ at Roll the wrong way—"

"Your concern is misplaced. I'd never willingly participate in such abhorrent behavior, and I'm reprogrammed to obey your orders anyway," Enker responded wearily. "Though I must say, it's strange for the right hand of Dr. Wily to have such 'protective programming' over another creator's robot, if that is in fact your situation."

"I'm her older brother, I'm just looking out for her," Proto Man protested hotly. "Mind your own business anyway or I'll ask Wily to reformat you when we're back at Skull Fortress."

"Proto Man…" Enker began in a soft, subdued voice, "If you're taking us back to Skull Fortress, can you return us to our normal forms?"

"'Us?'"

Proto Man's head tilted toward the robo-wolf on the stone floor. "That thing used to be a Robot Master? Yetch, bad luck."

The robo-wolf made a soft growl.

"Time Man, right?" Proto Man identified. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm still trying to talk the Doc off this Halloween kick."

Enker looked Proto Man squarely in the visor. "If we can't be returned to normal…can I at least be a werewolf too?"

"You want to be a robo-wolf like him?" Proto Man asked skeptically.

"Sure. It would only be fair," Enker said in a casual voice. "I tried asking him to bite me but he won't do it."

Proto Man scrutinized Enker. Enker had said this all very casually, as though dooming himself to be a robotic beast were no more big a deal than exchanging a first class ticket for coach so that he could travel with a friend.

"You're alright, Enker," he said finally. This lasted for a beat, before Proto Man instantly resumed his original subject, still unsatisfied. "But, if you _were_ interested in my sister—"

* * *

Roll had lost sight of Enker while tracking him through the castle. Nevertheless, her new vampire abilities had certain advantages as she sped from room to room in bat form searching in a quarter of the time it would have taken on foot. Still, she could not locate him, and was about to give it up to go find Mega Man when she heard familiar muffled voices and noticed flickering torch light from the kitchen within a lower floor of the castle.

Transforming back into vampire form, she stalked silently toward the kitchen door, which stood ajar. Then, drawing a butterfly net from her utility arm in case Enker attempted to fly away again, she quickly turned the corner.

Standing very close together on the other end of the room were Proto Man and Enker, Proto Man's face only a hands-width apart from Enker's, a longing look in Enker's eyes as he gazed at Proto Man's neck—

"What the hell!" Roll stammered before she could stop herself, dropping her utility arm. "You…and _Proto Man?_ How? When? _—_ It doesn't matter," she backtracked quickly, edging back toward the door.

Proto Man's head snapped toward Roll, his mouth falling open, clearly taking in her change in skin tone and pointed fangs, then lunged at Enker, grabbing him with both hands by the neck and slamming him against the wall. Ancient cups and plates rattled out of their shelves and fell to the floor with ringing smashes.

 _"_ You _bit_ her?! _You son of a bitch!"_

"It's okay, nothing happened, he just bit me on the wrist, don't hurt him!" Roll called quickly, darting forward to intervene.

She grabbed Proto Man by the left shoulder. Though she had only been intending to pull them apart, Proto Man gave a sharp gasp of pain, his hand shooting toward his blaster arm as though he had been burned, then tripped backward into a heap of empty wine casks, freeing Enker.

But Enker was in no condition to appreciate help from Roll. He made a spitting noise like an angry cobra, meanwhile Time Man had risen to his feet and was growling thunderously like a chainsaw revving up.

Having expected something like this to happen, Roll lunged at Enker, who evaded her easily by once again transforming into a blue and gold bat.

Roll too transformed into a bat as Time Man's jaws slammed shut where her ankle had been moments before. Then she dive bombed Enker, the two of them biting and scratching at each other as Time Man prowled below, watching her through his red eyes, until finally Roll was able to delivery a finishing bite on Enker's right wing, syphoning enough energy to render him flightless.

Using her talons, she grabbed Enker quickly by his other wing as Time Man lunged, her wing tip just barely brushed Time Man's curved fangs (which to her were now as large as digging trowels) as she narrowly avoided being bitten in half.

Holding on tightly to Enker, Roll shot toward the old kitchen fireplace and up through an old narrow chimney rising through the castle wall. Layers of cobwebs clung to her wings and ears like ragged robes as the climbed, the sounds of Time Man's angry snarls echoing behind her.

* * *

Proto Man, slightly dazed from pain, pushed himself up from the splintered remains of the wine casks. Time Man backed out of the fireplace, shook the soot from his armor, then pointed his toothy snout at Proto Man.

"The sooner I can get you back to normal, the better, _officer_ , your time-freeze technique would be really useful right now," muttered Proto Man, still nursing his injured shoulder. "But in the meantime, find the intruders and bring them back to Wily!"

Time Man made a short grunt as though to acknowledge the command, then bolted silently toward the flagstone steps leading out of the kitchen.

* * *

Using Dino-Tar from her utility arm, Roll glued Enker to an inside wall of a bell tower.

Enker made another spitting noise, his teeth bared as he pulled against the red gooey adhesive. He attempted transforming into a bat, but was no more successful at escaping than a fly trapped on fly paper. Giving up, he resumed his vampire form with its grim, waxy expression.

His eyes roved the corners of the bell tower. "Where's Time Man?"

"I didn't get him," Roll said bracingly. "Look, just…hang tight. I'll come back for you soon, but first I gotta figure out how to get us back to normal, and to do that, I gotta go after Proto Man, and I gotta warn ya I'm not planning on going easy on him."

"Honestly, I'm not too fussed about what happens to him, he's a bit of a melodramatic nutter," Enker replied shortly.

Roll blinked at Enker, itching with curiosity and also feeling inexplicably irritated, but, deciding it was not her business, she turned on her heel and stepped out of the bell tower, transforming back into a bat.

* * *

Once back in the forest, Mega Man threw his head back and let out a loud howl which echoed across the cold earth. Then he lifted an ear, straining to listen.

For a moment, he could hear nothing but the creaking of trees, then not too far off, he heard an answering howl.

His pulsar pulse picking up nervously, Mega Man waited, staring into the gloom. After several tense minutes, a pair of shining red eyes appeared, drawing steadily nearer, then a black furry snout with gleaming teeth materialized out of the darkness as Time Man stalked toward him.

Mega Man resisted the temptation to recoil at the appearance or think how easily Time Man's claws could rip him to shreds.

Apparently Time Man was thinking the same thing about Mega Man, for his nostrils flared as he sniffed air, apparently trying to determine whether or not this was a trap. Then he lowered his head and gave a threatening snarl, as though to imitate _I'm in charge._

Mega Man had no wish to dispute this at the moment. Communicating was as difficult as ever, but he made an attempt anyway, hoping Time Man would believe that Mega Man was now loyal to Dr. Wily and would like nothing better than to join his master.

Again, Time Man seemed to be trying to see if this was a trap, his red eyes searing Mega Man like flaming coals. But he turned around, his tail lashing behind him, and padded off to the castle with a low growl.

Mega Man followed, careful to remain a few paces behind Time Man as he sensed Time Man might snap at him if he tried to walk beside him. They swam the icy moat to a small section of the castle wall that had caved in, squeezing through the gaps of the crumpled bricks into an earthy cellar.

With Time Man as a guide, navigating through the castle was no longer a problem. They crossed a ballroom, a library, a gallery, through several hidden staircases and concealed doorways behind tapestries, and wound through several twisting corridors.

As they drew near to what Mega Man thought must be the heart of the castle on the second floor, Time Man suddenly rounded on him and gave another sharp growl, intending Mega Man to go no further.

Mega Man looked at the room ahead. On the opposite wall a heavy arched door stood ajar, flashing light and the loud drone of humming electricity issuing from the gap. On either side of the door stood Cut Man and Guts Man, who looked surly and were engrossed in a conversation about how bored they were and how long it would take before Dr. Wily would let them back in. Neither had noticed Time Man nor Mega Man.

Time Man padded through the opening in the door, perhaps to fetch Dr. Wily. Cut Man and Guts Man parted way, giving him a respectful berth as their eyes fixed nervously on his jaws.

Mega Man hesitated to follow. He knew Dr. Wily must be beyond that door with whatever was generating the electricity, but Cut Man and Guts Man's presence presented a complication, as Cut Man and Guts Man had already seen Mega Man and knew he was not under Dr. Wily's control. Then Mega Man felt his lips twitch around his fangs into something like a smirk and stalked within the shadows toward them.

"Ow! Something bit me!" Cut Man whined, jumping bolt right and backing away from the door.

Guts Man whirled, his fists raised like a boxer, than caught sight of Mega Man, taking a step backwards in fear. "It's Mega Man! Shoot him!" he yelled at Cut Man, his voice trembling.

"I can't my—rrr—rrr—hands! They arrre-rrrrr—stuck!" Cut Man stammered as his fingers fused together into robo-canine paws, his already prominent ears fanning out into large triangles.

Guts Man backed away, his mouth falling open in horror as Cut Man doubled up, a line of circular cutters sprouting down his back like a mane, but he couldn't escape as Mega Man sank his fangs into the thick titanium armor around Guts Man's shin.

"Hey—ugh—get back here-rrrrrr!" Guts Man growled thickly, synthetic fur spreading across his face. "Rrrrrrr….Uh oh…."

The transformation swept over them in a chorus of squeaks as their titanium bent and contorted, Cut Man's whines and Guts Man's bellows becoming wolfish howls. Mega Man took one last glance at Cut Man (whose large ears, bulging eyes, and short hinged muzzle made his face look like an orange Boston terrier) and Guts Man (who was hunched over like a bow-legged bulldog with a lower jaw similar to a backhoe shovel) before kicking the door shut with his hind paws, confident they wouldn't be any better at dealing with doorknobs than him.

He found himself in a sort of laboratory buzzing so loudly with dazzling electricity it was almost like being in a giant bee hive. He quickly spotted Dr. Wily and Proto Man, who were standing on either side a prone finger draped in a canvas tarp.

"What's all this racket? I told those two idiots to keep quiet!" growled Dr. Wily, glaring at the door. Then he did a small jump. "Uh? Mega Man! A wolf-bot?"

To Mega Man's surprise, Dr Wily seemed disappointed.

"Holy shit," commented Proto Man.

Dr. Wily glanced over at Proto Man, his expression changing into a dark grin. "It's a hideous transformation, isn't it, Proto?" he whispered silkily. "Do not be ashamed if you must avert your eyes, it must be shocking to see your brother this way."

Proto Man merely shrugged his right shoulder. "Not really. Something like this _always_ happens to him. It's fitting Wolf-bot got to him first, he's about as dumb as a dog."

Mega Man had to repress a growl. _As dumb as a…!?_

"…Can he understand us when he's like that?" Proto Man asked suspiciously, frowning down at Mega Man.

"No," said Dr. Wily wickedly. "He's doomed to live out his days as a monster-bot in mind and body, forever haunting this castle."

But Proto Man wasn't convinced. "Are you _sure_ he's gone fully werewolf? He _was_ an advanced android, after all."

Mega Man wondered why Proto Man was holding back from attacking. Though it might be reasonable to assume Proto Man was wary of getting bitten himself, Mega Man noticed a strange scent around Proto Man—something beneath the smell of desert sand, aviation fuel, and mountain spring fabric softener (Proto Man must have washed his scarf recently). He wasn't sure how he knew this, but Mega Man was quite positive Proto Man was badly damaged around his left shoulder…in fact, Proto Man's plasma cannon was currently disabled.

Filing away this fact for later, Mega Man scanned the rest of the room. Time Man was laying down protectively next to Dr. Wily, his violet tail curled around his paws. Evelyn Wray was sitting straight backed on a stool with her eyes closed as a pair of battontons touched up her makeup with a powder brush, a third perched on her shoulder. Next to her stood a broad-shouldered robot with fangs who was busy running a lint roller over his velvet cape.

 _That must be Dracu-bot, the original vampire monster-bot…but where is Wolf-bot?_ Mega Man wondered. He could see no other robot in the room apart from a snide butler who was watching him with curled lip.

_Wait a minute…_

With a short growl, Mega Man pounced at the butler, knocking him to the castle floor.

"Hey, Dr. Wily, this one's not under my control!" exclaimed the butler. As he said this, he gave a growl far more powerful than Mega Man's own, his stiff gray face becoming brown and furry as it stretched into a vicious maw, his smooth hair becoming jagged spikes as clawed hands grappled with Mega Man.

Without thinking, Mega Man bit down hard on the transforming Wolf-bot's neck, tearing easily through the vital circuitry within.

Wolf-bot gave a sharp howl, his limbs twitching against the floor as sparks issued from his throat.

"Tell…Ms. Wray…it was an honor…to act with her…" he whispered weakly, his tongue lolling out as the light died from his eyes.

Meanwhile, Mega Man felt like a stretched rubber band snapping back into shape. His teeth, ears, and nose shrank to normal size, his paws returned to being hands and feet, his legs lengthened back to their original proportions, and his fur and tail vanished.

Mega Man spat the wires out of his mouth. "Ugh, I can't believe I did that!" he muttered, flexing his jaw, which felt sore, but feeling much relieved to hear his normal human voice instead of a hoarse growl.

He stood up, then staggered as his knees wobbled beneath him, falling back against a computer counsel for support. It appeared his transformation back into an android had sapped all of his energy, leaving him with nothing left for his plasma cannon.

"So what's the scheme this time, Wily?" Mega Man demanded.

Proto Man just smirked carelessly. "Bro, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Mega Man! You are ruining my film!" Dr. Wily screeched, his face turning purple.

"What?" Mega Man looked at Proto Man with raised brows, hoping for an explanation.

"He's making a monster film."

"…What?"

Dr. Wily calmed himself.

"Well, now that you've found my secret lab, let's see how you match up against _this_ monster-bot, blue dweeb!"

Dr. Wily crossed over to a computer terminal and pulled down a large lever. At once, the electricity cut off, plunging the room into semi-darkness, the large spherical power generators on the ceiling whining down.

"Behold, Franken-bot, the most powerful robot in the world!"

Dr. Wily grabbed a corner of the tarp and threw into the ground in a swish of canvas. Underneath lay a gigantic titanium monster-bot, taller than Guts Man, bearing a heavy set jaw, thick eyebrows drawn low over golden eyes, and twin bolts on either side of his head. With an unintelligible moan like a giant and very angry baby waking up, Franken-bot stirred, tearing easily through the iron chains binding him to the table as though they were paper. His feet thudded heavily as he stepped off the operating table and to the floor.

Evelyn Wray oooed. "Mmmm, how impressive!"

The top of Franken-bot's head began to rotate like a turret, a miniature nozzle of a gun on each side, and a second later he opened fire—a purple beam striking Mega Man and knocking him backward into a pair of cylindrical power generators, which fell upon him with a crash and began sparking.

"So much for Mega Man!" Dr. Wily crowed triumphantly. Behind him, Proto Man had crossed his arms, looking annoyed. "Now, for my epic finale! Franken-bot carries off Evelyn Wray and destroys London!"

At this cue, Franken-bot lumbered clumsily over to Evelyn Wray, knocking over lab equipment with his gorilla-like arms. Stopping short in front of her, he gave a stiff bow and made a soft burbling noise. With a delicate spin, Evelyn Wray did a stage swoon as he swept her off her feet as gently as though she were a bird he was careful not to crush.

Evelyn Wray winked at Proto Man as Franken-bot tramped past. "The ending is a real tear jerker!"

"I've been crying all night, you just can't tell because of the visor."

"You're funny!" she laughed, then closing her eyes she craned her head backward, the back of her hand on her forehead.

Sweeping his cape impressively over the lower half of his face, Dracu-bot followed them with Proto Man and Dr. Wily close behind as the sparking power generators burst into flame and the laboratory began to shake.

Dragging himself to his feet again, Mega Man walked gingerly over to Time Man and was pleased to see he too was an android again, though, like Mega Man, Time Man was rubbing his jaws as though suffering a toothache and looking completely drained.

"Glad to see you back to normal," Mega Man said, helping him to his feet.

"You too. Being monster-bots doesn't suit us I'm afraid, though at least you were a friendly one...sorry about biting you, by the way," Time Man added, closing his aqua eyes and shaking his head as though to clear it.

"You remember?"

"Unfortunately." Time Man walked over to the tarp to wipe off the bottoms of his gloved hands, which were black from running around all night on the dirty floors of the castle. "I have no energy left to fight…how are we going to stop Franken-bot? We must destroy Dracu-bot as well, he's bitten Enker—"

"Let's just concentrate on getting out of here first before this broken down lab falls apart," Mega Man said soothingly as plumes of dust rained down from the ceiling.

They both froze. Something was heading straight for them; the pattering sound of something with four titanium legs was echoing down the stone corridor that branched off the back of the lab. Fearing another Wolf-bot might be loose in the castle, Mega Man and Time Man exchanged nervous glances, but a second later Rush came bounding through the back entrance, carrying a long golden spear in his mouth. He dropped it at Time Man's feet then sat back on his haunches, wagging his feet and giving a happy bark.

"That's Enker's barrier spear…" Time Man murmured worriedly, looking over at Mega Man.

Roll came skidding into the laboratory a second later.

"Ha, there you are! _And_ you're normal again!" Roll greeted joyfully, giving Mega Man a hug and smiling brightly.

Mega Man took in her fangs, startled. "…What happened to you? Have you become a vampire?"

"Yeah, Enker bit me—but nothing else happened!" she added, for both Mega Man and Time Man's eyebrows had shot upward. "And then I found him with—never mind. Anyway, I trapped Enker up in the bell tower to keep him out of trouble while we figure out a way to get rid of his vampirism."

"Good news, all you need to do is destroy Dracu-bot and both you and Enker will return to normal," said Mega Man.

Roll hesitated. "Actually, I've been thinking, it might be _cool_ to stay a vampire and transform into a bat whenever I want. Daylight is over rated anyway."

Time Man frowned at her. "What about Enker?"

"Oh, right," answered Roll sheepishly. "Fine, I'll take care of fang-face before he turns anyone else. Well, it was cool being a vampire while it lasted anyway…"

Mega Man shook his head ruefully at Roll as Time Man collected Enker's spear from the floor. Together, they stumbled out of the laboratory entrance as computer equipment began sparking and the roof caved in.

* * *

The Skullker had been moved outside to the scraggly lawn of Castle Cavendish while Dr. Wily, Proto Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man rode a purple disc-shaped hover platform, Cut Man bent over the eyepiece of a movie camera as Franken-bot marched before him under the full moon.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's it! Excellent, Ms. Wray! Very dramatic!" praised Dr. Wily, his voice carrying across the grounds. "Okay, Cut Man, move in closer…"

Mega Man and Time Man hovered above on Rushjet as Roll flapped beside them in bat form.

"Since I have no weapon, I'll save Evelyn Wray while you two fight off the rest," said Mega Man.

Both Time Man and Roll agreed to this plan, and as soon as Rush landed, Mega Man darted forward.

But Dr. Wily caught sight of them. With a frustrated growl, he ordered Cut Man and Guts Man to attack.

Cut Man and Guts Man leaped down from the hover platform, both panting exhaustedly and extremely cross.

"Mega Man! You're going to pay for what you did to us!" thundered Guts Man flexing his fists.

"I'm cutting you out of this movie!" joined in Cut Man, his eyes furious slits.

Roll transformed back into an android and landed in front of Cut Man and Guts Man, hissing fiercely and displaying her fangs.

"Ack! She's turned into some kind of snake woman!" cried Cut Man hysterically as he and Guts Man stepped back, trembling.

"I'm a vampire, don't you idiots know anything?" demanded Roll, her eyes flashing. "Now scram before I drain every last bar of energy from your bodies!"

Cut Man and Guts Man shouted in fright, then ran off toward the castle in panic as she gave chase.

His way unobstructed again, Mega Man rushed toward Franken-bot, lifted Evelyn Wray from his arms, and whisked her away into the forest.

Evelyn Wray gave Mega Man a started look as he put her down on a stump.

"You'll be safe here, just stay out of sight while we fight Wily," he told her before hurrying off again to rejoin the fight.

He was just in time to see a black bat dropped from the sky, and in a flash of red light Dracu-bot appeared before Time Man.

"Perhaps you did not like to being a werewolf," mused Dracu-bot, looking Time Man over. "Which is of course understandable as werewolves are most uncivilized (may Wolf-bot rest in peace). But may I entreat you to becoming a vampire like myself? Then you may join the owner of that spear!"

As he said this, Dracu-bot's eyes flashed in a mesmerizing way. Time Man suddenly found it hard to concentrate. He lifted a hand to his forehead, his other hand lowering the barrier spear—

A pointed end of a wooden stake burst suddenly out of Dracu-bot's brocade waistcoat, breaking his hypnotic hold over Time Man.

" _La revedere, Doamnă Wray!"_ Dracu-bot cried into the sky, raising his hands. "I have been slain. Parting is such sweet sorrow. May all your nights be black as a raven's wing, and may the moon shine like—"

Dracu-bot never finished his simile. He twitched for a second, then his head and limbs fell slack, his face blank as his body slid to the ground. Behind him stood Roll, who had caught up to them after chasing off Cut Man and Guts Man.

Roll felt the points of her canines which were no longer fangs, her cheeks resuming their usual rosy hue. "Guess it worked, I'm no longer a vampire," she sighed.

Responding to Dracu-bot's destruction, a cloud of battontons engulfed Roll while squeaking angrily, their suction-cup mouths pinching her skin painfully as they bit her and tore at her hair.

While Roll was busy fending off the small robots pelting her like tennis balls fired out of a cannon, Mega Man, Time Man, and Rush circled Franken-bot.

Franken-bot had not liked the change of events at all. As soon as Evelyn Wray left his arms, he began to roar like an enraged bull, the turret on his head whirring furiously as he rocked from side to side, looking for her. Purple lasers were being fired in all directions, blasting the outer walls of the castle, drawing charred lines in the ground, and demolishing nearby boulders, one shot nearly hitting Dr. Wily's hover platform.

"Watch where you're shooting, you nincompoop!" Dr. Wily shouted as he swerved out of the way, his hands steadying the camera while Proto Man held onto a guard rail.

Mega Man was doing his best to help Rush keep Franken-bot's attention divided, yet one of the lasers still caught Rush, sending him flying into the moat. Another one would have hit Time Man, but swinging the barrier spear deftly Time Man reflected the laser back at Franken-bot.

The blast was devastating to Franken-bot's unarmored body. His joints sparked ominously and he fell backward onto the ground with a crash like a tree falling.

There was a beat in which Mega Man and Time Man waited tensely, then Evelyn Wray came rushing out of the forest and fell to her knees at Franken-bot's side, her black cloak pooling gracefully around her.

Franken-bot's head swiveled toward her. "You come back," he uttered in a stiff, halting voice.

"Of course I came back. I couldn't let them…" she trailed off and embraced them. "Oh this is all my fault. If only I'd gotten here sooner—"

"At least Franken-bot see you one…last…time…"

His voice trailed off and his head rolled to the last of his circuits whirred to a stop.

"No, no! Please! Please! Please don't leave me! I love you!" Evelyn Wray whispered in a quaking voice, then she collapsed into the his vest of steel plate and brass buttons and began to sob.

For a moment, both Mega Man and Time Man were lost for words.

"But…we had to destroy the Monster-bots…" Mega Man said finally, feeling crestfallen.

"How tragic…" added Time Man, looking stricken.

"I dunno, this ending seems derivative of something to me," yawned Roll, who was using a baseball bat to strike battontons into a distant field.

Suddenly, Evelyn Wray stood up and faced them, wiping the tears from her face in a business-like way. "What do you think? Stunning ending, huh?" she asked, smiling radiantly. "Just promise me one thing that you won't spoil it before everyone gets a chance to see it in theaters!"

Mega Man and Time Man blinked at her.

Above, Dr. Wily, the last of his Monster-bots defeated, gave an enraged screech from the hover platform. "You've wrecked all my shots, you meddling eyesores! How _dare_ you interfere! _"_

Time Man pointed Enker's barrier spear at Dr. Wily and shouted, "Albert W. Wily, you are once under arrest for illegally trespassing, reprogramming officers of the Robot International Police, and the practice of mad science upon said officers!"

Dr. Wily harrumphed. "Next time keep your meddling noses out of my business if you'd like to keep them the way they are!" he fired back.

Then he blanched and dropped the movie camera to the ground as Time Man hurtled the spear. It hit the bottom of the hover platform, which careened off course, dumping Proto Man and Dr. Wily into a slushy pond.

Time Man darted forward to intercept Dr. Wily, but Dr. Wily stood up and whipped out the Reprogramming Raygun out of his sopping wet lab coat and pointed it at Time Man.

"I know you have no energy left to fire your miserable _Time Slow_ this time! Come closer so I can put you to good use as an obedient soldier in my robot army!"

Time Man scowled at Dr. Wily, forced to keep his distance lest he come into range of the Reprogramming Raygun. Dr. Wily grinned toothily back, then splashed off toward the Skullker.

Proto Man would have followed but instead gave a sharp hiss as he was jerked backward—Mega Man had caught him and was holding his arm twisted behind his back.

"Ha! Thought so! I could smell you were damaged when I was a wolf-bot!" Mega Man said in his ear.

"Umm…what?" Proto Man got out through clenched teeth.

"Wolf-ish instincts, or something," Mega Man explained, keeping his grip tight while Proto Man squirmed in discomfort. "So what happened? You're always boasting about how tough you are…who on earth did you lose a fight to?"

"No one you want to get to know, trust me."

"No offense, but any enemy of yours is probably an ally of mine, Proto Man."

Ahead, Cut Man and Guts Man were sprinting toward the Skullker, waving their arms desperately as Roll and Rush chased them, meanwhile Time Man had retrieved Enker's spear and was cleaning on the grass.

"Looks like you have some broken titanium supports," Mega Man continued, pulling Proto Man away from the Skullker and toward the forest. "That happened to Roll last year when she fought Air Man. Takes awhile to fix, huh? Sorry to take advantage of your current injury, but I've had a _looong_ night, and you really should have a doctor look at that shoulder…"

"That's what Wily's for," stated Proto Man, reaching into his scarf. He withdrew something small and silvery, and a second later Mega Man experienced a sharp blinding pain that propelled him backward into a clump of dead grass.

"Mini _Thunder Beam,_ in case of emergency," said Proto Man, stowing the chalk-sized device back into his scarf. "Guess that's a wrap…for now."

Proto Man darted off, a red blur in the misty twilight, leaping safely into the back of the Skullker with Cut Man and Guts Man before either Roll or Time Man could intercept them. The Skullker promptly rose from the castle grounds, kicking off a cloud of dust and disappearing into the lightening sky.

Roll, Rush, and Time Man joined Mega Man at the edge of the woods.

"Looks like we stoped Dr. Wily from storming England with his monster-bots," Roll announced smugly.

"I think we only know the half of it," said Mega Man, catching sight of the discarded movie camera lying on the ground.

* * *

After Dr. Wily had fled, Roll, Mega Man, and Time Man spent the remainder of the night sweeping through Castle Cavendish to destroy the remainder of Dr. Wily's works, freeing Enker from the bell tower and Gravity Man and Knight Man from their misfortunes.

Tornado Man was found next to a heap of wriggling robot limbs. When he was told about what had happened to the rest of the R.I.P. officers that night and how close he himself had been to becoming a Zombie-bot, he only laughed and thought they were having him on.

When it became time for the R.I.P. officers to return to their headquarters, Time Man thanked Mega Man again for rescuing them from being stuck as robo-wolves, and joked that every adventure they had been on together had involved the moon somehow.

Roll and Enker parted ways rather awkwardly.

Enker first thanked Roll for trapping him up in the tower and from further disgrace while acting as a vampire. Then, eyeing Time Man out of the corner of his eye as though asking for help, Enker had rattled off that he thought Roll was a nice bot, but he'd rather date someone he'd known for awhile, that neither of them would be happy with a long distance relationship, and that he hoped they'd remain friends.

Roll seemed to sincerely agree with him on all these points, but she also had a frustrated look about her a though she'd like to punch him about something unrelated but was holding herself back with great dignity.

* * *

The next day, Evelyn Wray invited Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Light to a private theater in London owned by Dr. Umlauf and used to pre-screen movies.

Evelyn Wray and Dr. Umlauf greeted each other with two brief pecks on the cheek (Dr. Umlauf's wife was the executive producer for the Acme Network in America) then they settled down in the red leather seats to watch the rough-cut of Dr. Wily's movie.

"Well, it had a beginning, middle, and end," said Mega Man in the moment of silence after the last scene cut to black.

"That's actually…good?" added Roll, looking over at him with raised brows.

"Yeah, horror's not my thing, but I think I'd actually watch that again," said Mega Man. "Who'd a thought, Wily, a _film director._ It's a shame he went into world domination instead of making movies."

"He did take a lot of film electives in college," put in Dr. Light thoughtfully. "Very entertaining, Ms. Wray," he added.

Evelyn Wray twisted around from her seat in the front row to face them. "We'll have to add a few scenes to make it feature length," she said matter-of-factly. " _Night of the Living Monster Bots:_ Directed by Dr. Wily, staring and produced by Evelyn Wray. It'll be a smash hit, those special effects were unbelievable."

"Those weren't special effects," Mega Man informed her.

"Mmmm how interesting!" said Evelyn Wray, as though not really paying attention.

Dr. Umlauf tapped Mega Man's shoulder. "Zee monster-bots' bodies have been recovered from zee castle. I am taking zem back to R.I.P. headquarters so Dr. Ramu and I can analyze their technology," he told him. "We must make sure zat bastard Wily cannot do somezing like zis again."

"Good idea," said Mega Man gratefully.

Dr. Umlauf nodded. "Afterwards, I will remove zeir weapons, reprogram zem, zen Evelyn can take zee lot back wiz her to Hollywood."

Mega Man frowned at this news. "…What? Why?"

Dr. Umlauf shrugged. "She wants to make a sequel with zem, or a spin-off series. She zought zey were all very sweet, and I do no want zem. Bullshit transforming technology aside, I think zey are built cheaply, but perhaps zey shall make okay television robots."

"It figures," Mega Man sighed. "Though I personally (this movie aside) would be okay if I _never_ saw a monster-bot again."

**Next time on Mega Man Recut…**

Dr. Light finally unveils his secret project and tasks Mega Man and Roll to safeguard the new robot on a journey to a secret research facility in California. Proto Man and a team of Robot Masters attempt to steal the robot for Skull Fortress, but they face steep competition when the Syndicate also shows interest...tune in next time for _Brain Bots!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!


	26. Brain Bots, Part 1

****

**Episode 22: Brain Bots**

Proto Man lay on the floor of the western hangar working on the weapon system of a large fighter jet. Several of the roof windows had been left open, airing out the oily smells with an arid desert breeze from the badlands.

He heard a set of titanium footsteps echo across the hangar, drawing steadily closer.

"Heh. Bomb Man said I might find you here," came Top Man's deep voice. He stooped over to look at Proto Man. "Is your room around here too then?"

"Yeah, maybe," Proto Man answered vaguely, pushing himself out from underneath the jet so he could stand up and face Top Man.

"How's your shoulder?"

"Good as new." Proto Man demonstrated by making a plasma cannon. "…What's up?"

"You get along with me, right?" Top Man asked casually with a small smile.

"Sure, Top Man," Proto Man said pleasantly but indifferently, having no clue why Top Man would track him down just to ask him this and wanting to get back to the jet.

"And you get along with Elec Man too, right?" Top Man added just as casually, though his smile faded.

Uh-oh.

"Do you know why Elec Man hates me?"

Proto Man was not prepared for this question, and his mind went promptly blank.

"Whoa whoa whoa…first off, don't let Elec Man hear you say we 'get along,' he wouldn't like that," he said, stalling.

"Do you know why he hates me?" Top Man repeated, ignoring Proto Man's attempt to distract from the topic at hand. "All the other bots like me, yet every time I try to see him, he slams the door on face or tries to shock me."

"He doesn't h—it's complicated. I wouldn't worry about it."

Top Man was watching him closely. "What do you mean?"

"I can't really get into that without Elec Man present—"

"Why?" Top Man demanded sharply. At that moment, his face had the cold, steely look Elec Man usually wore.

Proto Man grinned stiffly, holding up his hands. "...Puts me in an awkward place."

A softer set of approaching footsteps echoed across the hangar. A second later, Elec Man walked out from behind an attack helicopter. His eyes locked onto them and a brief flash of betrayal flickering across his face before it became cold and impossible to read.

Top Man took a few guilty steps back from Proto Man, casting Elec Man a nervous look.

"I overheard your voices…" Elec Man said in a quiet, dangerous voice.

"We weren't talking about you," Proto Man said hastily. He had been afraid this might happen; Elec Man worked in the rooms just above the hangar. "Well, _just now_ we were, but I mean other times we weren't—this was the first—"

Elec Man ignored Proto Man's stammers and glared icily at Top Man. "What do you want?"

"I know you're my prototype," said Top Man abruptly, looking directly back into Elec Man's eyes.

Proto Man turned his head toward Top Man in surprise. Elec Man had jerked subtly at the declaration as though to take a half step away from Top Man, but recovered just as quickly, glaring back imperiously until Top Man blinked and lowered his gaze.

"A-at least I think you are," Top Man mumbled. "Ring Man told me you were built by the Syndicate, but even before that I had started to suspect—I mean, we kinda _look_ alike—"

"Figures you'd be friends with a loser robot like Ring Man," Elec Man cut in snidely.

"Actually, I try to be friends with everyone," Top Man shot back, looking up again unabashedly. "I know you were captured and reprogrammed, but...now that you've been working for Dr. Wily for awhile, surely you've noticed it's better than committing crimes for the Syndicate."

Elec Man's nose wrinkled as he looked down on Top Man with deep disgust. Proto Man could have told Top Man that whatever he was trying to do, this was the exact wrong thing to say.

Elec Man's eyes narrowed. "Don't talk about things you don't understand you naive fool. I am still loyal to the Syndicate, and that will never change."

Top Man's face stiffened, his hands clenching. "Can I at least ask _why_ you don't like me?"

"Because you are a traitor. Don't you realize that by going rogue, you not only put yourself in danger, but every other robot built by Centum in danger as well? Does that mean _nothing_ to you, or is it only yourself you are thinking of?"

Top Man had no response for this. He was shaking slightly, whether from anger or something else was impossible to tell, but he glared steadily at Elec Man.

The atmosphere in hangar felt like it had been filled with hydrogen gas, and Proto Man was afraid it would explode if he left Elec Man and Top Man to continue on like this.

"Guys…let's cool down for a second," he interrupted, standing between them. "It's a nice day, Dr. Wily doesn't have any world domination plans—whatcha say we take some of these jets out for a ride and blow off some steam?"

"Forget it," muttered Top Man, and with one last dirty look at Elec Man, he spun on his heel and stalked out of the hangar.

Elec Man gave a disdainful sniff and made a motion to leave in the opposite direction.

Proto Man sped up to catch up to him. "Hey, the kid has been through a lot…can't you give him a break?"

"There isn't really anything more to talk about, Proto Man," Elec Man responded coolly, sounding pleased with himself.

"Can I just have two minutes? _Please?_ "

To his surprise, Elec Man consented to this, though he rolled his eyes and looked thoroughly unimpressed as he turned to face Proto Man.

Proto Man glanced at the fighter jet he had been working on, thinking for a moment, before plunging right in, "Look, I get why you're mad at him. Family betrayal sucks. But everything I've heard from you or Top Man about the _Syndicate_ sucks _._ You have scrambled memory chips, so you don't _really_ remember where you came from…and something's fishy about the ballet thing Top Man was caught up in. You may act tough, but I think deep down you've realized you don't have all the facts on Top Man's situation either, and I think you're worried Top Man might have been right to ditch the Syndicate."

There was a ringing silence at this. Elec Man glared defiantly at Proto Man, all traces of snideness vanishing, but his lower jaw had trembled slightly.

"I think you're alright," Proto Man put in quickly, "But I honestly think Top Man has the right idea about the Syndicate. If you want to convince him otherwise, be my guest—"

"Figures you'd take his side," Elec Man cut him off, looking away.

"Hey, I'm on _your_ side. When I first met Top Man, I wanted to get rid of him. I still could if he's going to be a problem for you." Proto Man took a step closer to Elec Man, lowering his voice. "…What do _you_ want me to do?"

Despite everything, Elec Man looked both unprepared and unhappy about getting to decide Top Man's fate. He turned around to face the an open window, as though searching for answers, his face still as his mind worked furiously.

"I don't know," he finally admitted grudgingly.

Internally, Proto Man smiled. "It's okay."

Elec Man looked him over. "You know, with talk like that…you're on your way to thinking like one of the heroes. Miss your family at all?"

Proto Man cringed at this. "…Alright, from now on, you stay out of my shit, I stay out of yours. Deal?"

Elec Man smirked at him, then began walking out of the armory again.

"For the record—not that this should matter—Centum let Top Man go back when he rescued me from Centum's bots," Proto Man called after him. "Centum would rather Top Man be a rogue robot and a traitor than for his other bots to hurt him."

Elec Man didn't respond to this, so Proto Man returned to the jet, giving Elec Man his space again.

* * *

The last of winter melted away as shoots sprang out of the ground and new leaves budded on trees, marking the end of April.

It was an exciting day at Dr. Light's laboratory, for Dr. Light was about to reveal the secret project he had been working on.

"After almost a year of work, I've finally finished it," he announced as they faced the cylindrical chamber that sat beside the emergency satellite scanner.

"But why the big secret?" asked Roll, gesturing emphatically. "You didn't even tell us what it is!"

Dr. Light smiled softly. "It's very important that no one know of this," he answered simply.

Then he turned to his supercomputer and pressed a square-shaped button.

A bulb began flashing from on top of the chamber, sending shafts of green light dancing across the domed ceiling. The door revolved open with a small whine.

Inside stood what looked like a young human. He was dressed smartly in a cotton lab coat as white as freshly fallen snow and a pair of oversized glasses over his closed eyes. He was a similar height to Mega Man, his synthetic skin a similar shade, his face bearing similar rounded contours, his eyes a similar shape—even his jet black hair was swept back in a similar way to Mega Man's own (though his hair seemed to have a tasteful style to it while Roll proudly referred to Mega Man's as 'just rolled out of bed helmet hair.')

Mega Man and Roll gaped at the android.

"He's a new experimental robot," Dr. Light explained with a small chuckle. "I call him 'Brain Bot' because he has a genius super computer brain!"

Rush crept toward the chamber, his head lowered while sniffing uneasily as he looked back and forth between Mega Man and Brain Bot.

"…He does look smart," Mega Man said in after a moment.

Dr. Light pulled out his pocket-sized remote from his lab coat pocket, pointed it at Brain Bot, and clicked its red button.

With a soft humming of servos, Brain Bot's eyes opened, which were a vivid grasshopper green.

"Hello, I'm Brain Bot," he introduced with crisp articulation. "Who are you?"

Mega Man smiled a bit to himself. "Hi, I'm Rock," he answered, stepping forward with a hand outstretched.

Brain Bot was about to shake his hand when they both froze in hesitation, Brain Bot looking down at Mega Man's blue glove then up at his face. Mega Man felt an inexplicable chill run down the back of his neck, and looking into Brain Bot's eyes, he had the uncanny feeling Brain Bot was experiencing the exact same feeling—like they were reaching through some sort of window to shake hands with themself, or in a more abstract way, the sensation of an infinite loop circling back on itself.

Mega Man brushed the feeling aside quickly and grasped Brain Bots hand with a gentle squeeze.

"And I'm Roll," Roll called over, pushing Mega Man aside and taking Brain Bot's hand in her own firm hand shake.

Brain Bot tore his eyes away from Mega Man and stepped out of the chamber to look up at the ceiling.

"What a peculiar place!" he remarked, gazing around.

Mega Man chuckled. "Yeah, the laboratory always reminded me of a giant eggshell."

"I was thinking more like a museum of antiquated technology," said Brain Bot, nodding to himself.

Both Mega Man and Roll raised their eyebrows and exchanged glances and looked over at Dr. Light, but Dr. Light didn't seemed to pay the comment much attention as he smiled gently upon Brain Bot.

Brain Bot's eyes fell next on Rush, and his face lit up. "Can I…can I pet your dog-bot?" he asked Mega Man shyly as Rush wagged his tail tentatively.

"Sure, he's really friendly. We call him Rush," said Mega Man.

Brain Bot crouched down, patting Rush between the ears, then began giggling softly as Rush licked his face enthusiastically, knocking his glasses askew. The scene wiped away the lingering memory of Brain Bot's prior rudeness.

...This only lasted a moment, however, for Brain Bot had also been looking up at the supercomputer with a stern frown like it was a bright light hurting his eyes. Then, as though he couldn't take it any longer, he stood up, straightened his glasses, and marched over to the supercomputer. Opening its access panel, he stated matter-of-factly, "This control panel will be much better with different circuits."

Then he began rummaging through the computer banks, tearing out circuit boards and discarding them over his shoulder.

"Hey, stop that!" snapped Mega Man, aghast.

But Dr. Light only chuckled, his arms folded behind his back. "His programming appears to take after his co-creator a bit, particularly his enthusiasm for innovating. A robot's programming will do that from time to time, it has been well documented in many cases."

Mega Man caught Roll shooting him a knowing look, a smirk upon her face.

"Is he going to live with us?" Mega Man asked wearily.

"No, he will live with his co-creator, Dr. Mikhail Cossack," replied Dr. Light. "Brain Bot is going to a secret research center in California, top priority. There he will help work out complicated problems for Citadel Research and Innovative Technology."

"Well I hope you send him soon before he redesigns the whole lab!" said Roll, watching Brain Bot with a repressed smile.

Dr. Light gazed seriously at Roll. "Oh he's leaving right away, and you and Mega are taking him there!"

* * *

Dr. Light spent the rest of the day running preliminary tests on Brain Bot while Brain Bot attempted to enhance various features of the laboratory to be 'more modern,' much to Mega Man's dismay. Then Brain Bot (who needed sleep as much as Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll) spent the night in the spare bedroom Doris had prepared for him.

They got ready to leave early the next morning.

Brain Bot was now dressed in armor that resembled Mega Man's: where Mega Man's armor was in shades of blue (matching his eyes), Brain Bot's armor was in shades of green (matching _his_ eyes), except for the titanium skin around his neck and the two short antennae sticking out of his ears receptors, which were both a sunny yellow. On the forehead of his helmet sat a small clear dome, somewhat like a crystal bubble, small lights on circuitry flashing inside.

Dr. Light was having one last talk with Brain Bot in the laboratory while Mega Man and Roll waited in the hallway.

Roll leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "You know…he kinda looks like you," she commented in a low voice as she watched Brain Bot from the side of her eye. "Sounds like you too, but with a British accent."

Mega Man nodded. "It's like looking into a distorted mirror where everything is the same except colors."

"And he's kind of a cute nerd, while you're just a nerd," added Roll thoughtlessly.

Mega Man raised a brow at Roll. "…Hey…"

"—And it works for you!"

Despite Roll's sincere reassurance, Mega Man felt defensive. He looked down at the polished wood floor. "I wonder what Proto looks like. Maybe he's dorky looking too," he mused aloud hopefully. "Maybe he has a goofy hairstyle like a giant pompadour or something."

Roll gave a hearty, disinterested sniff. Mega Man glanced up at her, then decided to drop it quickly, as Proto Man still seemed to be a touchy subject.

"I don't think Dr. Light meant to base Brain Bot's appearance so strongly off of me," he added.

"Even if he did, I'd take it as a compliment," said Roll. "I think it'd be cool if there were two of _me._ "

"Yeah, I suppose," Mega Man laughed.

In the laboratory, Dr. Light was wrapping up his conversation with Brain Bot, and Brain Bot was shrugging back into the snow white lab coat he had been activated in, which fit neatly around his armor.

Admittedly, Mega Man did think wistfully about how Brain Bot would be living the life he wanted for himself: a life as a lab assistant to one of the world's most brilliant scientists, free of crime and family drama. Still, Mega Man hoped that by bringing Brain Bot to California, he might get an opportunity to meet the reclusive Dr. Cossack of whose work in chemistry he had been secretly reading so much about.

* * *

At ten o'clock, Brain Bot said farewell to Dr. Light as he, Mega Man, Roll, Rush, and Met boarded Dr. Light's plasma jet, a small armored aircraft specially designed to avoid detection. Mega Man sat in the pilot's seat, Roll in the co-pilot's seat at his right, while Brain Bot sat gingerly in the passenger row so as not to crease his lab coat.

"Keep your eyes open, Roll," Mega Man said as the plasma jet climbed into the bright blue sky, the laboratory receding into the distance behind them. "Dr. Light's worried that Wily will try to get his hands on Brain Bot."

Roll leaned her chair back, folding her arms behind her head. "Relax, we'll be in California before Wily even knows what's going on."

Behind them, Brain Bot's eyes raked the cockpit with a sort of glum expression, his hands on his knees. He twisted restlessly in his seat, the leather creaking.

"Is it very old?" he asked, referring to the plasma jet.

Mega Man had a feeling Brain Bot's fingers were itching to modify flight panel circuitry as he had done with nearly every other electronic he could get his hands on.

Roll shrugged. "Only a few months."

Brain Bot leaned back against the head rest and sighed. "I was hoping to get to California soon."

"It'll only take four hours so long as everything goes according to plan—plus, we'll gain three hours by traveling west," Mega Man told him consolingly.

"Actually, at the plasma jet's current velocity, assuming favorable wind conditions and a linear flight path, it will take four hours, twenty-two minutes, and five seconds on average," Brain Bot replied.

Mega Man frowned. "Uh…yes, that is more accurate."

Brain Bot didn't respond, seemingly both bored and disinterested in talking to Mega Man and Roll. Noticing a speck of dust had alighted on his glasses, he took them off and began meticulously polishing them with a square of microfiber from his pocket.

"Why the specs?" asked Roll to break Brain Bot's sullen silence. "Robots don't need glasses!"

Brain Bot glanced at her. "It's true that glasses are most commonly used to aid myopic or hyperopic vision through light refraction, _however,_ glasses at their simplest function are an invention to aid vision. These glasses have uses beyond correcting conditions that robots are not built with." He gave a soft smile that was both embarrassed and pleased. "Though for a superficial cosmetic purpose, I wear them because my dad wears them."

Mega Man and Roll shared a quick look, startled.

"Your dad? You mean Dr. Cossack?" prompted Roll.

Brain Bot nodded, smiling. "Yes, my co-creator. Though I will probably address him as Dr. Cossack, as, in a sense, I have two dads."

Roll and Mega Man shared another look.

"Uh, that's funny—we call Dr. Light dad too," said Mega Man, chuckling uncertainly. "…Does that make us _siblings_?"

Brain Bot blinked at them, then gave a small laugh. "No, I don't think so. You see, I'm an advanced android."

"So are we," said Mega Man, glancing over his shoulder at Brain Bot.

"No, you are _prototype_ advanced androids," Brain Bot corrected him. "I'm the next generation. In fact, I am over thirty-five years ahead of my time, and neither Dr. Light nor Dr. Cossack will build another like me. So as you can see, it would be more accurate to classify yourselves among Robot Masters than with me—and I very much doubt we'll see each other much after today anyway, I'll be very busy."

At this, Brain Bot went quiet, steepling his fingers together and looking at the blue sky outside the cockpit window pensively.

"…This kid is stuck up," muttered Roll to Mega Man, rolling her eyes.

Mega Man glanced thoughtfully at Brain Bot. While Brain Bot was acting cold and distant to them, he had been extremely fond of Rush, Met, and Pipi back in the laboratory. "There might be more to it," he answered quietly.

* * *

"We're picking up a signal, Doc."

Proto Man was sitting at a surveillance computer in the main control room of Skull Fortress. Next to him sat Elec Man, who had been the first to alert him to the breach in Skull Fortress's radar detection systems.

Dr. Wily looked over Proto Man's shoulder at the large monitor, a crowd of curious Robot Masters standing behind them. "Hmmm, it looks like— _it is!—_ it's Dr. Light's plasma jet! He's up to something…and I want to know what! Analysis!"

Proto Man activated the radar scanners. A second later, a green structural diagram of the plasma jet and its occupants appeared across the screen. "Several bot passengers…" Proto Man commented, ignoring the figures he recognized to be Mega Man and Roll to run a detailed analysis on the third figure sitting in the back, "…including a new one!"

Dr. Wily's face lit up, his blue eyes darted over the rough schematics labeled 'Brain Bot.' "Nah-hah! Some kind of secret super intelligent bot."

Proto Man pulled up the plasma jet's flight trajectory. "Looks like they're heading for California."

"I must have that robot!" Dr. Wily shouted excitedly. "His super computer brain would be a valuable asset to my robot collection! I'll be able to come up with even _more_ brilliant and unstoppable plans to take over the world!"

"We could use some fresh ideas," Proto Mad admitted cheerfully, thinking back to Dr. Wily's last few lackluster schemes and the current slump they had been in for the last month. But his eyes lingered on the path the plasma jet was taking. "They're going to cross through Syndicate territory…and there's a chance the Syndicate may want to steal this robot too."

Elec Man seemed to have noticed this too, for he folded his arms. "I think you should stay out of it," he warned Proto Man and Dr. Wily sharply.

"I can't let anyone else have that Brain Bot!" thundered Dr. Wily, pounding the computer console with his fist. He glared seriously at Proto Man. "He must be the project Dr. Light was trying to keep secret, the one he journeyed all the way to California to collaborate on! Take Cut Man, Guts Man, Snake Man, and Dark Man with you. _If_ the Syndicate becomes a problem, then I'll send Elec Man to assist you in Brain Bot's capture."

Proto Man glanced sideways at Elec Man. He usually left Elec Man out of missions that involved the Syndicate—though Elec Man was programmed to be loyal to Dr. Wily, forcing to him to fight his former allies (no matter how cold-blooded and ruthless they were famed to be), seemed cruel and unusual by Proto Man's standards.

It was impossible to tell what Elec Man himself thought of this order, for he had gone still and poker-faced.

Proto Man waved his hand dismissively at Dr. Wily. "Pfff, Doc, I don't need Elec Man to tag along, I got it covered—"

But Dr. Wily wouldn't hear it. He held up a hand. "Nonsense, after how badly the Syndicate damaged you last time? Elec Man's knowledge of their operations will be a lethal weapon against them! Now get going before the Brain Bot slips through our grasp!"

With an air of finality, Dr. Wily swept out of the control room and toward his laboratory. Losing interest, many of the Robot Masters began filing off toward the armory.

Proto Man looked at Elec Man. "Hey, uh, don't worry, I can talk Wily out of sending you—"

But Elec Man merely smiled in his cold way and gave a lazy shrug. "Don't bother on my behalf. I think this is a horrible idea, and I said as much, so it's out of my hands if Wily overrides my concerns. I personally don't mind fighting the Syndicate in their territory as there's a high probability that we will be overwhelmed and I'll get recaptured. It's your neck you should worry about."

Proto Man had never thought of this situation from this perspective. "Uh…"

Elec Man smiled serenely, then walked off toward the hallway leading toward the western side of Skull Fortress.

Top Man was lingering in the back of the room. He had been watching Proto Man and Elec Man talking tensely from the sidelines, and as soon as Elec Man had left, darted forward to intercept Proto Man.

"Proto Man…do you really think the Syndicate would try to hurt or steal that innocent robot?"

"There's a chance, but I wouldn't worry about it, Top Man. I'll have Brain Bot back here in a couple hours."

Top Man nodded mutely, and Proto Man pushed past him toward Snake Man, who was leaning against a corner of the room, his arms folded.

"Well, you heard Wily: you're up, Snake Man."

"What'sss the point in sssstealing thissss weaponlesssss robot," Snake Man grumbled, a red slitted eye regarding Proto Man from under his snake-shaped helmet. "He'll never fix Dr. Wily'sss plansss, no matter how intelligent he may be."

"What's up with you today?" Proto Man returned crossly. "First Elec Man says he's okay with going on a mission, now you're badmouthing Wily's plans? Did you and Elec Man switch bodies or something?

Snake Man gave a small, guilty start and stammered something unintelligible.

"I'm _kidding_ , Snake Man, I'd _know,_ " muttered Proto Man dryly. "Now stop complaining and get Cut Man, Guts Man, and Dark Man to meet me in the hangar."

* * *

As the plasma jet glided over rolling hills of emerald green wilderness, Mega Man explained to Brain Bot who Dr. Wily was and his various attempt to take over the world, mainly because mad science seemed to annoy Brain Bot.

"You can't travel backward in time, it would cause a time paradox!" Brain Bot said emphatically after Mega Man explained his journey into the future via accidental exposure to chronitons and back via a time machine. "Forward yes, backward no!"

"That's what I said!" Roll joined in.

"Ugh, I'm going to have my work cut out for me," Brain Bot muttered, rubbing his temples.

"…What type of work will you be doing for Dr. Cossack?" Mega Man asked curiously, recalling that the chronitons had been housed in one of Citadel's laboratories.

"Top secret," Brain Bot responded swiftly, quickly facing the window again.

Rush yawned, then laid his head on Brain Bot's knees. Brain Bot started, then with a small smile began stroking Rush's head.

Roll gave Mega Man a small shrug. "What's with the armor? Expecting to do much fighting at Citadel?" she teased.

"Oh no, I'm not programmed to fight," Brain Bot responded cheerfully, looking down at his green armor. "It's Dr. Light's design, but an alloy of Dr. Cossack's own invention. He wanted to make sure I was well protected in case anything bad happened along the way. I suppose it will do for now…" he trailed off, looking over it critically.

"It looks a lot like my titanium armor," commented Mega Man, pointing out the obvious as he checked the plasma jet's bearing.

Brain Bot nodded slowly. "...My systems may be compatible with the same sort of technology used in yours."

Mega Man took his eyes off the horizon to look Brain Bot over.

"You may be right. Then you'd be the _green bomber._ You could even tag along on missions against Dr. Wily as an understudy," Mega Man said jokingly.

"That's a kind offer, but as I said earlier, I'll be too busy at Dr. Cossack's laboratory to be fighting," Brain Bot responded shortly, showing signs that he was about to go silent again.

Mega Man decided to change the subject to something Brain Bot might appreciate more.

"I've read about Dr. Cossack's work. He's made some prolific breakthroughs in chemistry—Chemistry is one of my favorite subjects to study."

Roll sighed at this topic of conversation (which she found dull), banging her head against the cockpit window.

Brain Bot's eyes flickered shyly back to Mega Man for a second, his interest obviously piqued.

"Do you have a favorite subject?" Mega Man asked.

"…I'm not sure yet," Brain Bot replied slowly, thinking hard.

A blue light on the onboard radar warning receiver began to flash.

"Uh-oh, we've got company!" Mega Man said grimly.

Roll twisted in her seat to look behind the jet. "Wily's bots!"

Brain Bot huddled nervously in his chair as Rush began growling and Met peered out from under her helmet alertly. "But I thought you said we'd be in California before they'd find us! I'm not programmed to fight!"

"You don't need to be, we'll handle it!" answered Mega Man, glancing behind the jet as well.

He picked out a small black triangle amongst the puffy clouds behind him growing steadily larger. It wasn't the Skullker, but a large skull jet, much faster and equipped with more sophisticated anti-aircraft artillery…and Mega Man had a bad feeling he knew exactly who was piloting.

* * *

Onboard the skull jet, Proto Man was watching his own radar display. Dark Man (Dr. Wily's newest Robot Master who had a flair for technology) sat next to him in the co-pilot's seat. Snake Man and Cut Man sat in the row behind them, while Guts Man had the back all to himself.

Proto Man selected the small white dot that represented the plasma jet, switching the onboard radar from search to track mode. "We got target lock!" he announced.

"This should be a real blast, eh-heh, eh-heh!" Cut Man wheezed as outside a pair of cannons unfolded from underneath the skull jet's wings. The jet gave a small kick as two missiles were fired.

* * *

"Everyone hang on!" Mega Man shouted as he let the plasma jet drop altitude abruptly.

The missiles exploded above them, the sound shaking the plasma jet's frame. Met extended her arms to help anchor Rush (who was not wearing a seatbelt) to the seat, while Brain Bot had given a strangled cry of surprise, his eyes squeezed shut.

* * *

The skull jet continued to close in on its quarry as the plasma jet began moving in an erratic pattern in an attempt to throw the skull jet's targeting systems off. But Proto Man didn't need radar to shoot another aircraft out of the sky.

"I'm right with ya, little brother!" he taunted, firing his next round of missiles.

* * *

Mega Man tumbled the plasma jet into a series of rolls as second pair of missiles denoted on either side of them.

"The trees!" Brain Bot suggested through clenched teeth, his eyes still closed. "Their jet is thirty percent less maneuverable than ours! If they follow, they'll surely crash!"

"I hope _we_ don't crash," muttered Mega Man, but he dove into the sea of green below.

Branches scratched against the cockpit windows as Mega Man weaved the plasma jet through the dense tree trunks. He didn't risk looking backward for a second, as flying this low to the ground amongst so many obstacles was extremely dangerous. Even Roll sat rigidly in the co-pilot seat, her eyes locked ahead. Finally, not daring to risk this flight path any longer, Mega Man he pointed the plasma jet's nose upward and streaked into the sky.

Unfortunately, the skull jet was still on their tail, looking no worse for wear after emerging out of the forest behind them.

"Shit," hissed Mega Man, agitated at how pointless the dangerous evasive maneuver had ultimately been. He glanced around at the skull jet. "They want fireworks? We'll give 'em fireworks!"

He pressed another button on the cockpit, activating the rearguard cannon.

* * *

"Rocket heading right for us!" Proto Man called, jerking the yoke hard toward the left side.

The Robot Masters held tightly onto their seats as the jet rolled. There was a loud bang outside, and the skull jet lurched as though hit by a car, and several alarms began blaring at once.

Proto Man leveled out the skull jet's wings. "It's knocked out our weapons!" he growled, flipping off the alarms one by one, annoyed at himself for being taken off guard. "Alright, _now_ we get tough!"

"Me and Snake Man we'll cut them down to size!" Cut Man volunteered.

Cut Man and Snake Man squeezed their way through the back of the cockpit, into the skull jet's narrow fuselage and out the lateral hatch doors. Bracing themselves against the roaring wind, they took positions half way across the long triangular wings, the tail of Snake Man's helmet whipping behind him.

The twin rockets of the plasma jet gleamed like sparks against the blue sky in front of them. After lifting their blasters and taking careful aim at the tiny moving target, Cut Man and Snake Man fired in unison, a _Rolling Cutter_ and a _Search Snake_ finding their mark as they began chomping through the casing as easily as if it was styrofoam cup.

* * *

The plasma jet began shaking as though it were being dragged over rocks, rattling the contents of its cockpit as a warning alarm blared. Brain Bot had one hand clutching the bottom of his seat tightly, the other holding onto his glasses.

"They took out an engine! Roll, you take over!" shouted Mega Man, switching controls to Roll as he unbuckled and sat up. "Come on Rush!"

* * *

A trail of black smoke issued from the back of the plasma jet as it began to lose speed. Proto Man watched one of the cockpit windows open upward like a beetle extending a wing, then a red and blue speck fly out of the plasma jet.

"Mega Man's left the jet!" Cut Man's voice crackled from Proto Man's communicator.

Proto Man grinned. "All the better to blast him out of the sky!" he responded, drawing a plasma cannon.

Then, opening the skull jet's own sliding cockpit window, Proto Man leaned into the wind and began firing at Mega Man.

Rush rocked back and forth like a bobsled on a slalom as the barrage of electric blue plasma bolts streaked past them, Mega Man flailing his arms wildly to keep balance. Steadying himself as best he could and squinting forward at the skull jet, who was temporarily pilotless as Proto Man hung out of the window firing at him, Mega Man fired a carefully aimed supershot.

The skull jet bucked on impact. Cut Man tumbled over and narrowly avoided falling off into the wilderness below by grabbing on to the femur-shaped wing tip. On the opposite side of the skull jet, Snake Man was clinging the front of the wing with his one hand, his boots clinking against the jet as the wind buffeted him.

"We're hiiiit!" Guts Man bellowed into Proto Man's ear, his eyes spinning around like cue-balls in their sockets as he grabbed the backs of Proto Man and Dark Man's chairs for support.

"Gee, did your high powered brain tell ya that?" Proto Man replied sarcastically.

Dark Man stood up. "Hey Mega Jerk, let's see you get away from my electro magnetic energy!" he called, the circuitry inside his dome head sparking with purple electricity like a plasma globe.

He lifted his hands above his head, generating a dark ball of energy that seemed to suck out the light from around it as though it were a hole in the sky, electricity circling it ln tangled wreaths. Then, lowing his hands, Dark Man sent the ball of electromagnetic energy chasing after Mega Man and Rush.

Rush attempted to evade the new attack by winding in a series of loop-de-loops, but the energy was homing in on them, gradually gaining until it hit the back of his jet with a faint _zap._ Rush howled, his jet engine making an ominous rumbling noise as his speed fell, his stabilizer completely fried.

* * *

Brain Bot craned his neck from side to side in an attempt to watch both the skull jet and Mega Man while Met beeped worriedly at his side.

"They've been hit!" Roll cried, glancing over her shoulder at Mega Man.

A second later, she was dodging an onslaught of blue plasma—one unlucky blast hitting plasma jet's wing, which snapped off and flew into the sky sending the jet into a spiraling nose dive.

"We're losing control!" Roll shouted over the roaring of flames and turbulence. An unsecured stack of energy cans was rolling to the front of the cockpit. Behind her, Met was busy unbuckling a confused and frightened Brain Bot and strapping a parachute to his back.

"My calculations indicate that we are going to connect with terra firma with a force of twenty-two hundred pounds per square inch," Brain Bot informed Roll.

"I knew that, eject!" snarled Roll, slamming an arm down on the emergency hatch just as Met leaped toward her holding out a second parachute.

The cockpit windows fell off as the seats sprung into the sky like rockets.

* * *

Knowing that without a working stabilizer he and Rush would be sitting ducks, Mega Man fired with everything he had at the skull jet, landing a fatal hit on its underbelly.

"You gotta hand it to him…he's a good shot!" Proto Man told Dark Man proudly as the skull jet went down.

With both Cut Man and Snake Man still clinging desperately to the wings, the skull jet hit the forest below at high speed. It slid uncontrollably, bouncing along the uneven turf like a speed boat speeding through waves, trunks snapping and birds scattering in its wake.

* * *

Mega Man watched as the plasma jet fell like a meteoroid and crashed into a fiery inferno.

Rush gave an alarmed bark and began whining.

"I hope they ejected!" said Mega Man worriedly.

Looking around, he spotted Roll drifting toward him in a striped parachute, Met clutched in her arms. Though Rush was panting with exhaustion as his damaged stabilizer sparked, he managed to hover over to them, allowing Mega Man time to help Roll climb aboard.

"Where's Brain Bot?" Mega Man asked as Rush made a slow, laborious decent through the trees and onto a mossy glade.

"He ejected," replied Roll.

They looked frantically around, then caught sight of Brain Bot's parachute drifting away from them just before it sank beneath the trees.

* * *

The wind rippled through Brain Bot's lab coat as he drifted toward the forest. He had been shot out in a completely different direction than Roll, and the parachute's round design afforded him no ability to steer, leaving him at the mercy of the air currents.

Now that both jets had been shot out of the sky, he couldn't help but notice how quiet and serene the landscape seemed. Though he could easily compute the distance inside his head, it was another thing taking in the vastness of the wilderness with his own eyes, the rolling tree-covered hills, the stiff peaks of mountains, the rocky plateaus, and the clear rivers.

...But that's when he noticed a deep trench of dark earth cutting through the forest like a scar. The skull jet was smashed against a thick maple trunk at one end, its nose bent upward, looking something like a wasp that had been swatted. Five robots were climbing gingerly out of the wreckage, and the wind was carrying Brain Bot in their direction.

The largest of the robots lumbered forward, straightening out a kink in his back. He glanced up, spotted Brain Bot, and gave a small start. "The robot's floating right to us!"

"Maybe he's not so smart after all," responded the orange Robot Master, tapping his own temple.

Brain Bot tugged helplessly on one of the leads of his parachute, but its course would not budge. He tried to think of an alternate form of escape, but the thought of fighting five hostile robots alone was making him freeze up and his mind go blank.

"I'll use my electromagnetic net," announced the dome-headed Robot Master, rushing forward, his arms cackling with dark electricity. A dark net sprang from his hands toward Brain Bot like a spider shooting silk at prey.

Completely ensnared, Brain Bot fell with a thump onto the turf, the parachute plopping behind him. The webbing was made of black cords which stuck to him like woven duck tape.

"Help! Let me out of here!" Brain Bot cried as a soft current began coursing through the web and into his body, making his circuits tingle numbly and his thoughts fuzzy.

"No use struggling, dweeb," the dome-headed Robot Master answered, his yellow eyes flashing.

"Dark Man is right…" spoke up a fourth robot, a bomber-robot like Mega Man with red armor, a visor, and a scarf, " _You're aallll ours_."

* * *

After losing sight of Brain Bot, Mega Man and Roll decided to fly above the canopy to find him quickly, despite Rush's damaged stabilizer.

At first, this seemed to be the right idea, for after a few moments of scanning the forest, they were able to pick out the brightly colored armor of Proto Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, Snake Man, and a fourth Robot Master they did not recognize underneath the leafy branches only a hundred yards ahead of them. Brain Bot, cramped inside a black net, was slung over Guts Man's back like a sack of green onions, looking quite miserable with his arms folded and his knees to his chest.

"Shit, they've got Brain Bot!" exclaimed Roll, pointing.

"C'mon Rush, let's go get him!" commanded Mega Man as he and Roll braced themselves for a fight.

In response, Rush gave a wheezy cough. Then his jet engine backfired with a puff of black smoke, and they dropped several feet. This happened three more times, Rush's jet engine continuing to fail as Mega Man, Roll, and Met clung on best they could during a near free fall. Then with a great shutter, Rush's jet engines suddenly roared to life with every bit of fuel left, sending them rocketing off in a completely different direction than where Proto Man and the Robot Masters had been headed.

Unable to slow down, they zoomed for miles until finally crashing face first into a cliff. Then they tumbled down a long slope of granite in a small avalanche before landing with a solid crunch in a thicket of thorny shrubs.

"That wasn't one of your better landings, Rush," mumbled Mega Man ruefully, rubbing Rush between the ears.

* * *

To Brain Bot's dismay, his once perfectly white lab coat had sustained yellowish grass stains from his rough landing. Though his mind was still fuzzy, he managed to catch the names of his captors, and through the net, he had been nervously watching their leader. Proto Man strode confidently beside Brain Bot, yet wasn't paying attention to him at all (though it was hard to tell behind the dark visor). Mega Man hadn't mentioned Proto Man while recounting Dr. Wily's exploits back in the plasma jet, but of the robots he appeared to be the most dangerous.

"Dr. Wily's going to like this," said Dark Man, gesturing at Brain Bot.

Proto Man pulled out a gray video communicator from the folds in his scarf.

"Proto Man to Dr. Wily, come in Doc!"

The communicator hissed for a moment before displaying a video transmission. From the tiny view port screen, Brain Bot could see an older human with wild gray hair around a bald crown and beady blue eyes: Dr. Wily, the mad scientist behind such improbabilities as shrink rays and mind control metal bands.

Dr. Wily's eyes popped greedily at Brain Bot.

"Ooo-whoo-hoo-hoo is that a Brain Bot I see?" he sang in a slimey voice.

"The very same!" Proto Man returned with a smirk.

"Take him to my secret mountain hideout!" Dr. Wily ordered. "Brain Bot will soon be one of us!"

Then he laughed in a way they sent shivers creeping down Brain Bot's titanium spine.

* * *

Roll opened a panel in Rush's side and began fiddling with broken components. So far, Rush couldn't maintain any form other than his default robo-canine mode.

"Looks like Rush is gunna need some emergency repair," she sighed, leaning back from her work.

"Better work on the run," replied Mega Man. He was holding a small handheld scanner that Met had pulled out of her helmet and handed to him. It emitted a series of beeping signals that gradually increased and decreased in volume as he swung it around in an arc. "We've gotta get Brain Bot back! …Dr. Light's homing device says he's this way!" he added after a moment, holding the scanner in a steady easterly direction where its pinging noise had been at its loudest.

* * *

Guts Man dumped Brain Bot unceremoniously onto the dusty floor of Dr. Wily's secret mountain base's laboratory. While sprawled on the ground, Brain Bot began running through a mental list of information he had observed about the other robots.

Neither Cut Man nor Guts Man were actually combat robots, but commercial civilian robots who had been reprogrammed. Snake Man might be competent in battle, but he hissed comically while speaking. Dark Man's special abilities were rather effective, yet he seemed more the type to engage for hours in laidback conversation on computer networks and his favorite comic book arcs than violent crime. Proto Man was likely more powerful than the other four combined, yet he seemed completely carefree and apathetic. The technology the laboratory was equipped with was even stranger and more outdated than Dr. Light's…how could robots function in a place like this?

Brain Bot tried to take courage in these thoughts as Proto Man approached with a strange device that looked like a purple price scanner, which pointed at Brain Bot while squeezing its trigger.

The device made a strange ultrasonic frequency, but otherwise seemed to do nothing. Yet, from his brief assessment, Brain Bot knew exactly what the device was _supposed_ to do, and went rigid with fear.

Cut Man snipped through the net binding Brain Bot with a pair of sheers from his arm cannon while Proto Man smiled softly down at Brain Bot.

"Welcome to the team, kid. C'mon, I'll take you to your new home."

Beckoning to him, Proto Man turned his back on Brain Bot and headed toward a sliding door on the other side of the laboratory.

Brain Bot took a few steps to follow Proto Man, then, losing his head, made a break for the exit instead.

But faster than Brain Bot anticipated, Proto Man lunged after him, grabbing him by the sleeve of his lab coat. There was a small tearing sound along the seam of his shoulder as Brain Bot was whirled around to face Proto Man's blaster. Instantly, Brain Bot froze with his hands raised.

"Nice try, but Mega pulled something like that too once. So, if you're immune to the Reprogramming Raygun, then you're an advanced android, huh?"

Proto Man said this in a voice that signified that he had always suspected this, so Brain Bot didn't bother acknowledging this fact. "A-are you a _prototype_ advanced android?" he asked instead. "Just like Mega Man and Roll?"

"Uh...well I was built by _Dr. Wily_ , so I'm not _exactly_ like the Mega Man and Roll."

Brain Bot looked Proto Man over critically. "The probability of that being true is zero."

Proto Man frowned. "No one likes a smart ass. Tie him him up again, Dark Man. Wily will know how to handle him."

"If he can't reprogram me, then what will he do to me?" asked Brain Bot as Dark Man began winding a coil of rope similar to what the net had been comprised of around his shoulders.

"Dunno," answered Proto Man bluntly.

* * *

Following the steady beeping from the homing device, Mega Man and Roll tramped across rocky terrain, pine glades, and babbling brooks until they reached a sparkling mountain lake in which a pair of eagles were fishing. Dr. Wily's secret mountain hideout stood in the shadow of a cliff, its three tiers of red domed roofs completely overgrown with foliage.

Mega Man handed the homing device back to Met to stow in her helmet, then peered carefully over a rock outcropping, noting the surveillance technology and weaponry protecting the base. He lifted his communicator. "We're gunna need some help to get into their fortress, Dr. Light."

"I'll send you the new Land Blazer by remote control jet," Dr. Light answered. "It is vital that you get Brain Bot out of Wily's hands!"

"Right, Dr. Light. We'll get him back! Mega Man out!"

Behind Mega Man, Roll was working on Rush's stabilizer using the tools Met was handing her. When she finally closed the access panel on his side, Rush turned to her and gave her a sloppy kiss across the cheek, his tail wagging fiercely.

"I've done all I can for now," Roll told Mega Man with a grin, gently pushing Rush away and scratching him behind the ears. "But his jet mode is still down. Any idea how we're going to storm their dumpy base?"

"Dr. Light's sending the new Land Blazer," Mega Man said brightly. He looked back at the mountain base. "Wily's bots won't know what hit 'em."

* * *

Brain Bot looked down at the ropes that were encircling him tightly like a cocoon. He had been taking in the rusty, out of date technology of the laboratory, and, feeling emboldened, opened his mouth and remarked, "Actually, these electromagnetic ropes will be much more effective if you increase the amplitude and decrease the—"

"Quiet!" snapped Dark Man, who was technically savvy himself and took offense to Brain Bot's snide remarks. Guts Man was holding his helmet as though science talk hurt his head, and Cut Man had balled his fists.

A giant Dr. Wily glared down at them from a movie theater-sized screen that covered one entire wall of the laboratory, his boney features projected in sharp definition.

"Proto Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, Snake Man, Dark Man—" he paused, taking a sharp inhale of breath, his cheeks flushing red, "—You _idiots!"_

Guts Man held a hand up to his chest, completely taken aback. "But I thought you were happy with us!"

"What's to be happy with you piles of techno junk?" Dr. Wily spat. "That Brain Bot is transmitting a homing signal—Mega Man's probably already picked it up, so keep your ears and eyes open! Make sure Mega Man does not capture my Brain Bot!"

"Actually, I"m still Dr. Light's Brain Bot," Brain Bot corrected him with a haughty grin, " _Although_ I am on way to California to pursue a—"

Proto Man and the Robot Masters whirled toward Brain Bot. "QUIET!"

* * *

The Land Blazer was a heavy all-terrain vehicle perched upon two triangular treads. It was not much longer than a car and had a small standing cockpit protected by two clear blast shields that rotated upward on an axis. It was a bright construction orange in color, and as it had been created using Senator King's funding for battle equipment, had a stylized 'K' etched on its jets in golden paint.

Mega Man climbed quickly into the Land Blazer after it had landed in the clearing next to himself and Roll, then sped off toward the mountain base (Roll staying behind with Met to watch over Rush), firing at the armored doors of its hidden cliffside entrance.

* * *

The muffled sound of the explosion echoed through the mountain base.

"Mega Man! He'ssss here!" Snake Man hissed.

"Let's go!" shouted Proto Man as Dark Man lugged Brain Bot over his shoulder.

They raced out of the laboratory, down a short corridor, and out of the back entrance into the sunlight, the dull roar of the Land Blazer's vehicle pursuing them.

"This way! Into the jet boat!" Proto Man commanded.

They pounded down a small rickety dock then clambered into a small blue boat, Dark Man tossing Brain Bot into the back seat while Proto Man took the wheel and started the engine. A second later, they were speeding across the lake, wings of water fanning out on either side of them.

Back on shore, Mega Man was busy fiddling with the Land Blazer's configuration panel. With a cranking of shifting machinery, a pair of water skids unfolded beneath the Land Blazer while the treads shifted to stand on their ends, lifting the cockpit several feet away from the ground. A rocket fired up on it back, and the Land Blazer took off across the lake.

Guts Man looked over his shoulder, his eyes popping as he noticed Mega Man gaining on them. "Hey, no fair! That tank's a waterski!"

He stooped down toward the bottom of the boat, picking up and armful of heavy barrel-sized water grenades.

"Let's see you ski over this blue dweeb!" he thundered, lobbing the bombs at Mega Man.

The bombs erupted like geysers in the lake water. Mega Man increased the speed and weaved through them as a fine spray of water spattered against the windshield. Then, pulling the control stick nearer to himself and watching the jet boat carefully, Mega Man fired back.

The blast cut into the water, creating a twenty foot wave that picked up the jet boat like a leaf on the wind.

"We're heading for the shore!" shouted Dark Man as he, Snake Man, and Brain Bot braced themselves in the back seat.

Proto Man was busy fighting with the steering, but the jet boat was not responding. "Hang on!"

The wave tossed the jet boat airborne. It flipped over, dumping out its unbuckled passengers, who fell headfirst into the soft brown sand and became partially buried.

* * *

The Land Blazer skidded to a smooth halt on the shore. As it folded back into its original formation, lake waves lapping at the back of its treads, Mega Man darted out of the cockpit and toward the green pair of boots sticking out of the sand.

"Brain Bot! …Are you okay?" he asked, grabbing Brain Bot by the ankles and tugging him out of the ground as though he were a giant parsnip.

Brain Bot's face was thickly caked with sand. He spluttered weakly, pulling off his squashed glasses and wiping them against his lab coat, which was soaked with lake water and clinging to his armor. "That rescue was rather rough, Mega Man. Allow me a moment to compose myself—"

"Later!" urged Mega Man, tugging him by the sleeve toward the Land Blazer.

* * *

With muffled groans and grumbles, Cut Man, Guts Man, Snake Man, Dark Man, and Proto Man dug themselves out of the shore just in time to watch the Land Blazer zip back across the lake, kicking up water in its wake.

Cut Man was wiping sand from his eyes while Guts Man knocked sand from his ears. Both were irritable. Sand was notoriously gritting, uncomfortable, and difficult to clean out of armor, and the fear of Dr. Wily's wrath for losing Brain Bot loomed over them.

Snake Man wasn't worried about how Dr. Wily would take their failure to capture Brain Bot, but he was still seething with anger at the incompetence of it all.

"You alwaysss have to go in for the attack when we should have been more dissscreet!" he hissed at Proto Man. "Now that Mega Man knowsss we are on hisss trail, he'll hide that robot! We're sssunk!"

Proto Man brushed carelessly at the sand caught in the folds of his scarf as he watched the Land Blazer disappear.

"Maybe not," he mused aloud, a small smile on his face. "I have an idea…"

* * *

Mega Man and Brain Bot regrouped with Roll at a safe distance away from the Dr. Wily's mountain base. Noticing Rush had been damaged, Brain Bot quickly sank to his knees to assist in his repairs.

"I think we're going to need some supplies before we can go much farther," said Mega Man grudgingly. "What's the nearest town?"

"Uhh…" Roll consulted a geolocation device stored in her utility arm. Then her face lit up. "Vegas! _Yessss!_ " she shouted excitedly.

" _Las Vegas?"_ Mega Man repeated warily. "Are we that far off course?"

"I've always wanted to go!" said Roll, her eyes sparkling. "C'mon, we'll just call Dr. Light and tell him Brain Bot will be a little late getting to California. I'm sure Dr. Cossack won't mind. Besides, we've _got_ to show Brain Bot some of the sights! We can lay low and pretend to be humans. He needs to have a little fun before getting locked up in a laboratory!"

Brain Bot looked up from Rush's repairs. "Actually, I'm looking forward to working in a laboratory."

"We have to stay out of trouble," Mega Man told her sternly. "No gambling."

Roll waved a hand dismissively. "There's other stuff to do in Las Vegas! You worry too much! Besides, it's just one day, what's the worst that can happen?"

Met gave a concerned beep.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," chimed in Brain Bot.

"Me too," agreed Mega Man. "But don't worry, we won't let anyone take you away from Dr. Cossack."

**_To be continued…_ **


	27. Brain Bots, Part 2

After calling Dr. Light and discussing their plans, Mega Man, Roll, Brain Bot, Met, and Rush sped off toward Las Vegas aboard the Land Blazer.

"Apparently Dr. Cossack wasn't happy about the delay, but thought we should do what we think is best," Mega Man told Roll as they exited the Land Blazer a mile outside of the city, "—And they both suggested we find someplace safe to stay while they arranged safer transportation to Los Angeles. In the meantime, I say we disguise ourselves as humans. No one will pay attention to 'normal tourists.'"

As Mega Man and Roll discussed logistics, Brain Bot rubbed an eye. Met noticed this and offered Brain Bot an energy can in the same way Eddie usually did with a friendly chirp.

"Oh, no thank you," said Brain Bot, smiling down at her.

Roll looked over. "You really should, you've had a rough day."

Brain Bot straightened up, wiping all traces of sleepiness from his face. "My systems aren't compatible with that type of energy," he replied crisply.

Roll sighed, giving up. "I told you he's stuck up…" she whispered to Mega Man, rolling her eyes.

For disguises, Roll chose a nightmare fuel t-shirt and ripped jeans that from the supplies Dr. Light had thoughtfully stowed in the Land Blazer. Mega Man chose a plain t-shirt and plain jeans. Brain Bot was harder. His first choice after his lab coat (which was badly stained and ripped after his brief abduction) was to stop by the most expensive-looking store in Las Vegas, but Mega Man talked him down to borrowing his green zip knit sweater and jeans. Then Mega Man and Brain Bot stowed their armor in canvas duffles, which they slung over their shoulders. Still, Brain Bot seemed terribly self-conscious in these 'casual' clothes.

"He's a bit preppy, isn't he?" Roll lamented sadly. "Suppose he gets that from Dr. Cossack's side…"

They hid the Land Blazer within the desert outskirts, then head off toward into the city on foot, hoping to blend in with other tourists as they grew nearer.

"Are you sure we don't have time to find a tailor to fix my lab coat?" Brain Bot asked for the seventh time as they approached a street.

Roll choked back a laugh. "It's not exactly a priority."

"Maybe we should go back to Dr. Light and ask for a new one."

Realizing he was quite serious, the amusement died on Roll's face. "It's just as dangerous to go back as it is to keep going," she pointed out. "Why does it matter so much?"

"Brain Bot, you seem kinda tense. Is everything alright?" Mega Man joined in kindly.

Brain Bot's face hardened. "I just…want to look my best," he said evasively. But he caught Mega Man's eye for a moment, and again Mega Man sensed some sort of distant connection passing between them like when they had first shook hands.

Mega Man stopped walking, turning to Brain Bot perceptively. "…Do you _not_ want to go to Citadel?"

Roll cast Mega Man a startled look.

Brain Bot gave a guilty jump. "Of course I want to go!" he stammered, the aloof mask he had been wearing faltering. "It's just…"

"…Nervous?" Mega Man supplied.

Brain Bot hesitated. Up to this point, he had been doing his best to keep them at distance, but in his present state of agitation, this effort all came crashing down. "I…I just don't know if I'm good enough," he said, scuffing his boot against the hard brown ground. "I'm not brave. The problems I'm meant to solve are so big. I couldn't even fight off the Bad-bots, and they're idiots—"

Mega Man raised his brows. "But you said you didn't want to fight!"

"No," Brain Bot admitted. "I don't want to hurt anyone, I'd rather fix things like my creators." He lay a hand on Rush's head affectionately. "But I want to be able to defend myself and others if I had to."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Roll, patting him on the shoulder. "Sure, Mega Man and I are big heroes now, but we were kidnapped the first time we met Wily's bots too."

Brain Bot looked at her hopefully. "And you had to be rescued too?"

"Uh, no, we escaped…"

Brain Bot sighed, looking down at his toes.

"Cheer up, Brain Bot," put in Mega Man quickly. "I'm sure you have it in you to be brave if you wanted, though once you're safe in Dr. Cossack's laboratory, you'll never have to worry about crime again."

Brain Bot gave a half-hearted nod, still looking dejected, his shoulders hunched and his hands stuffed his pockets. Yet as they continued on toward Las Vegas, the chilly aloofness he had shown them was tentatively beginning to thaw.

* * *

"This is going to be risky, Doc…" muttered Proto Man as he stood on a cliffside overlooking the bright assortment of hotels, casinos, and resorts spread like the contents of a toy box. Las Vegas was well known in the criminal underground as Syndicate territory. Snake Man, Dark Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man were still aboard the Skullker, awaiting orders from a much safer distance. "Is this robot really worth it? He may be smart, but he has no weapons…I doubt the Syndicate would want him either."

"Of course the Brain Bot is _worth_ it!" Dr. Wily's voice cackled from the video communicator in his hand. "With him at our side, my schemes will be insurmountable!"

Proto Man scratched the back of his neck as an arid breeze ruffled through his scarf. "Yeah, sure, but…it's going to be kinda hard for me to sneak in. Those Syndicate bots that jumped me when I had the giant pearl recognized me even though I had my helmet off pretending to be a human." Proto Man thought about this for a moment, indignant. "…Just how _did_ they recognize me? I don't wear a visor just to look cool you know!"

Dr. Wily glared beadily up at him. "Don't point a finger at me, I've never breathed a word! To the world you've always been my robot, and that is as good as true—you'd be nothing but a helpless lab assistant without me!"

"I know, Doc—and the only other people who _should_ know my secret are the Lights, yet their boss Centum has _waaay_ too much much dirt on me. You've got spy bats, can't you tell if there are Syndicate drones also tailing Light, or figure out any other way he's getting his information?"

Dr. Wily's voice got a little higher. "I think you're imaging things. I've heard of this nobody who goes by 'Centum,' and he's not that good of a roboticist. Take Elec Man and Top Man, they are so… _flimsy._ Almost as bad as you before you became Proto Man."

This was the first time Proto Man had ever heard Dr. Wily mention Centum by name, for Dr. Wily always avoided discussing anything about the Syndicate entirely.

"Um—" Proto Man began, confused.

But Dr. Wily seemed to sense he was about to ask a question, for he blurted out angrily, "Just use Elec Man to get by the Syndicate, is that so difficult? Besides, I thought you _liked_ danger, it's not like you to be such a scaredy-cat!"

Proto Man blinked at Dr. Wily's sudden outburst. "I'm not being a—"

But the video communicator had cut to static.

Proto Man sighed, tucked it back into his scarf, then glanced over his shoulder at Elec Man. "Wily's being really weird about this mission, huh?"

"…Isn't he weird about everything?" Elec Man responded disinterestedly, deep in concentration as he programmed his handheld computer to lock onto Brain Bot's homing signal per Proto Man's instruction. He was standing next to the small jet he had piloted to Nevada, which lay hidden in the shadow of an outcropping and cloaked from enemy surveillance.

"Sure, but usually in a fun diabolical way," answered Proto Man.

"Perhaps Wily's not telling you everything. He's been analyzing that new robot's specs nonstop since you left."

"…Really? Why?"

"I didn't ask," answered Elec Man, shrugging. "You're risking the most on this mission, you know. Who knows what the Syndicate will do to you if they catch you."

"Actually, Top Man said Centum was planning on turning me in..." Proto Man admitted quietly, gritting his teeth.

A small smile flickered across Elec Man's face, and he peered over at him. "Proto Light the lab assistant…"

Though Elec Man had not uttered the phrase with any sort of derision, heat that had nothing to do with the desert sun crept into Proto Man's circuits. "Stop it."

"Just picturing if a lab coat would suit you."

"Heh, shut it…" growled Proto Man, feeling Elec Man was now taking this too far.

Elec Man frowned at him, his expression becoming serious as the hand holding the computer dropped to his side. "You realize gangsters typically do much worse to their enemies, right?"

"Your creator is a lousy bastard who somehow knows what _I_ consider my worst nightmare," Proto Man countered, clenching his fist.

"Oh I remember your worst nightmare…" said Elec Man dryly.

Proto Man cringed as he recalled their journey into the astronauts' dream via Dr. Wily's dream transmitter.

Then Elec Man's face became blank and unreadable. "You know…I don't have a choice in participating in this mission…but you do. You can walk away."

Despite the stakes, Proto Man couldn't just back down from a challenge. "No way, not my style. Besides, Mega and Roll have no idea what they just walked into." He hesitated, replaying what Elec Man had just said. "Say…you're not _concerned_ about me, are you?"

Elec Man took his time in answering, his face still unreadable, staring pensively down at Las Vegas, then finally. "What you said back in the hangar about the Syndicate…you're right, I don't have the facts."

Proto Man was shocked. He had never heard Elec Man express uncertainty about his former allegiance. "I swear, if you don't want to do this, I will knock you out right now, screw Wily's orders—" he stuttered uncomfortably.

But Elec Man only frowned."No, if you're going, _I'm_ going."

They were about to head toward the sagebrush-covered slope leading down into the valley when the jet behind them began making knocking noises. They whirled, Proto Man drawing a blaster and Elec Man was about to fire a _Thunder Beam_ when Top Man suddenly tumbled out of the cargo hold onto the rocky ground. He looked up, caught sight of them, and started.

"What the— _Top Man?_ " Proto Man turned toward Elec Man wonderingly. "What'd you bring him for?"

"I didn't bring him!" Elec Man snapped tersely, electricity still crackling through his fingers.

Top Man got up, dusting off his armor. "When I heard where you were going, I snuck aboard the jet."

Elec Man raised the arm charging a _Thunder Beam_ , his face deadly. "You're not supposed to leave Skull Fortress without Wily's permission. I'm programmed to electrocute robots who disobey orders…"

Proto Man pushed Elec Man's arm down."No you're not. Top Man, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help. There's no way I'm going to let the Syndicate kidnap that robot!"

"Go away, you're going to mess everything up!" hissed Elec Man through clenched teeth.

"Okay, let me handle this…" Proto Man warned Elec Man, who scowled, but the charged _Thunder Beam_ dissipated from his hand. "Top Man, you understand that the only reason we're stopping the Syndicate from kidnapping that robot is that _we're_ going to kidnap him, right?"

"Of course!" said Top Man, but he wouldn't meet Proto Man nor Elec Man's eye.

Proto Man considered Top Man for a moment. "…You may be useful…"

"As bait," Elec Man put in coldly, his eyes narrowed at Top Man.

Proto Man was thinking the same thing but wasn't going to say it outright.

" _Fine_ ," said Top Man, mirroring Elec Man's glare right back at him.

"Great, this is totally not going to be awkward with you two together," Proto Man muttered under his breath.

Elec Man gave Proto Man a piercing look before stalking down the mountain slope, his eyes dropping toward the screen of his handheld computer. "We've wasted enough time."

Top Man looked after Elec Man, shaking. "It's like everything I say is wrong!" he said bitterly to Proto Man.

"You know…Elec Man isn't the nicest bot. It's just not part of his programming's charm. You can either accept that, or…" Proto Man trailed off, shrugging. "Speaking of not being very nice…let's recapture that lab bot Wily's willing to risk our necks over."

* * *

"That's weird, this place is deserted," whispered Mega Man as they walked down Las Vegas's streets, which were lined with bars, entertainment venues, and casinos. They shared the sidewalks with few other pedestrians, and only an occasional police car patrolled the streets. The most active thing about them were the maintenance drones, which were busy washing windows, sweeping sidewalks, and disposing litter.

"Well, I guess it's only eleven in the morning here. Things probably don't pick up until later," Roll said in disappointment. "Still, this is a lot different than I've always pictured. Everything's so neat and orderly. Even the pigeons look clean!"

She pointed upward at a bright white bird perched on a light pole, its head cocked to one side as it watched them with a curious black eye.

"That's not a pigeon, it's a dove."

"Huh, you're right. How odd."

"Pigeons and doves are actually an ambiguous distinction within a species of birds know as _columbidaes,"_ spoke up Brain Bot.

"I _know_ that…" grumbled Mega Man as the dove flew off. "Going to be hard to blend in if we're the only tourists here. Let's find someplace to stay quickly before we draw attention."

* * *

Pharaoh Man, Shade Man, and Magic Man gathered on the gravel paths of a private courtyard that only members of the Syndicate could access. It was nestled snugly between a cluster of Las Vegas casinos, a fan-shaped fountain tinkling softly at its heart. Magic Man was stroking the feathers of a white dove, which sat perched on his wrist. Two more doves sat in the branches of an acacia tree above them, cooing softly.

"So what do we know about this 'Brain Bot?'" asked Pharaoh Man in a low tone.

"Only that heads will roll if he's not delivered to Centum undamaged," Shade Man drawled. "Who's guarding him?"

"Mega Man," answered Magic Man.

Shade Man sniffed, unimpressed. "Well, I suppose it's fortuitous that they are wandering through Las Vegas. Are we to expect more of Centum's robots to join us?"

"No. They are busy searching for Ballade in addition to their other duties, and Centum does not want to draw attention to this situation by ordering all his Robot Masters to one place. We must exercise caution."

Shade Man nodded somberly. "So be it, we three shall be more than enough."

"Yeah, and Centum gave me a special trick if Proto Man shows his dumb face," muttered Magic Man.

He flicked his wrist, a playing card appearing in his hand—the Hanged Man. Then he flipped it around in his fingers—its back a crescent moon, then again—its face now a common Jack of Clubs—then shuffled the _Magic Card_ into the deck he always carried. "Now, let's go entertain our special guests…"

* * *

Mega Man, Roll, and Brain Bot had been walking for five minutes when they came across a casino with architecture like an Edwardian-style theater, a dazzling array of marque lightbulbs highlighting the richly carved front entrance, the sidewalks covered with red carpet.

Outside stood a human who looked to be in his twenties. He was attractive with loose, medium-length jet black hair, but what really drew the eye was his tuxedo—which was of a rich black material that shimmered from magenta to sapphire as he moved and trimmed with golden embroidery and feathered epaulets.

Mega Man found the entire ensemble to be a bit much. Roll, on the other hand, was intrigued.

"This looks fun," she murmured to Mega Man. She waved at the human. "Hey there!"

But the human seemed oblivious to Roll's gaze as he looked Mega Man over while leaning nonchalantly against a cane tipped with a crystal ball. One of his eyes was deep amethyst, the other pale blue. He smiled pleasantly. "Welcome to Las Vegas!" he greeted. "My name is Mr. Match. Care to see a show? Today only, no charge, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

He gestured toward the entrance of the casino with his cane. Then, setting the cane point down on the sidewalk (where it stood upright unsupported), Mr. Match produced a deck of playing cards out of thin air, which he let spring from hand to hand in a fluttering stream. Next, he nimbly divided the deck into sections which he began flourishing through his white-gloved fingers in a mesmerizing way that seemed to make them float. As a grand finale, he flashed the ace of hearts and with a lazy hand flick sent the card soaring around Mega Man in a smooth arc before returning to his hand like a boomerang.

Mega Man frowned. "…Is that supposed to be impressive?"

Mr. Match looked taken aback. Then he gave an irritable scoff. "I'm the best card thrower in the world—my aim is _quite deadly._ "

"That's nice," said Mega Man, turning his back on Mr. Match and nudging Brain Bot and Roll along. "Sorry, we're too busy for tricks today."

Mr. Match watched them leave with piercing eyes, his arms crossed, a white dove like the one they had seen earlier fluttering to his shoulder while his cane still stood like a fence post next to him.

"Now _you're_ the one being stuck up," muttered Roll in amusement as they treaded on along the spotless sidewalk.

"Never trust magicians," answered Mega Man sagely. "I just don't want to be swindled for our very last dime while here. I can already sense this whole place is a huge scam. Besides, were you _really_ interested in a magic show, or did you just think that weirdly dressed human was good looking?"

Roll grinned, unembarrassed. "He looked like a total pop star! Though something about his face looked kinda familiar…I wonder if he's performed on T.V.?"

"He didn't seem interested in you," Brain Bot told her matter-of-factly, looking back to Mr. Match with a knitted brow.

Mega Man thought this was rude for Brain Bot to say outright, and he nudged him with his elbow.

Sticking her nose up in the air and acting a though she hadn't heard, Roll said, "You're right about magicians though." Then she stopped short, looking ahead. _"Whoa."_

A building modeled like a gothic cathedral with macabre stained glass windows and grim stone gargoyles took up an entire block in front of them, its richly decorated spires stretching into the sky. At its corner stood a very strange-looking vampire robot in royal purple armor, with long bat-like ear-receptors, clawed feet, a slender tail ending in a triangle, and a pair of leathery wings folded about his shoulders like a cloak. Despite these monstrous attributes, he carried himself with the dignified air of a proud and very strict butler, his pale eyes gazing haughtily over his beak-like nose.

"Good afternoon. My name is Shade Man. May I be of assistance?" he called over in a mournful voice before dipping into a bow.

Mega Man could tell even without Roll nudging his shoulder that the decor of this casino fit her tastes perfectly. "This place is awesome—let's stay here!" she whispered excitedly.

"Ugh, haven't we had enough cheap Halloween nonsense after the monster-bots stuff?" Mega Man couldn't help but mutter back as he eyed Shade Man's fangs.

Shade Man overheard them. "I assure you there is nothing cheap about this resort," he said sharply, his wings shifting slightly in irritation. "The service is impeccable and you will not find finer dining anywhere. If you stay here I will personally be at your beck and call."

"Uh…no thanks," answered Mega Man.

"Now you're being a spoilsport, Mega. You need to have some fun," hissed Roll.

"Shh, I think the horror theme might be a little much for our young friend," Mega Man murmured with a pointed glance at Brain Bot, who was looking at Shade Man nervously.

"Oh, right. Oh well, I suppose there's next time."

They moved on, not dared not look back, for Shade Man's eyes bored into them, a deeply offended scowl on his pointed face.

Roll heaved a sigh. "This isn't turning out to be much of a trip, huh?"

"Well, we weren't supposed to take this detour…" Mega Man pointed out. "Does everything here have a stupid theme?" he added irritably as they passed what looked like an icy palace containing a figure skating rink, a banner reading _Grand Opening Fall 1996._

A giant pyramid rose before them, its sandstone blocks artfully crumbling as though relics of time.

"Wait…we know him," said Roll, pointing to the Robot Master standing guard outside the pyramid's entrance. "Didn't Wily reprogram him when he took over the electrical grid with his weird joystick?"

Mega Man looked over the Robot Master, who wore a striped nemes and long cloak over his linen-white armor. "Yeah, that's Pharaoh Man! It'll be okay, the casino was able to recover him and he's a good guy again. C'mon, let's check this place out."

"Hi…we're visiting from New York," Mega Man greeted as they approached the pyramid. "…Didn't you work at a casino there once?"

Pharaoh Man's blazing red eyes roved over them. He gave Mega Man a curt nod. "Yes, but our business moved out here. Less disruptions from mad scientists—though my casino is now widely regarded as having the best security in all of Las Vegas."

Mega Man remembered how good of a fighter Pharaoh Man had been, and despite his distaste in Las Vegas's ostentatiousness, asked, "We're looking for a place to stay tonight. Do you have any rooms available?"

Pharaoh Man didn't reply immediately as he regarded Mega Man, his expression unreadable. "…Do you have any money?"

"Uh…"

Mega Man wondered how much Pharaoh Man's resort cost and if Dr. Cossack would be willing to foot the bill.

But Pharaoh Man just gave a soft sigh through the titanium wrappings covering the lower half of his face. "As it so happens, our guests are few in number today. It looks bad if our resort is empty, so I may offer you a room at a special rate—just this once, and on the condition that you promise not to gamble or bother the other guests." He gave Mega Man and Roll penetrating looks. "If you gamble, I will personally throw you out."

"Seems reasonable…" said Mega Man, who had privately worried Roll might get it into her head to try her hand at poker. "We're just here for a little sight-seeing before heading back home to New York."

"Of course," said Pharaoh Man. "Come with me."

The inside of the pyramid had high vaulted ceilings of midnight blue with walls softly lit by indirect lighting, and felt warm like a pleasant summer evening. An artificial river filled with papyrus reeds and sweet-smelling lotuses wound through the lobby. The ambiance was somewhat ruined, however, by the light jingling of slot machines and poker chips from another room.

"Your room is on the fourth floor, stop by the reception desk for a key. Please make yourself at home, but do not cause any trouble, I will be watching," Pharoah Man warned as he turned his back on them to stand guard at the entrance.

* * *

Following Brain Bot's homing signal (and careful instructions from Elec Man), Proto Man, Elec Man, and Top Man crossed quickly through the city, weaving through alleys and subway tunnels to avoid detection. Along the way, Elec Man sought out and shocked the lone white doves that seemed to be scattered about Las Vegas.

"Whoa, hey, c'mon—" Proto Man had protested the first time Elec Man had done this while Top Man gaped, horrorstruck.

"That thing is a spy-bot," Elec Man replied crisply, dusting off his hands while the dove twitched on the ground, cooing dismally. "The owner can come to reclaim it if he wants."

They made swift progress, and were soon closing on to Brain Bot's location.

"Doesn't look like the Syndicate bots are onto us or Mega yet," Proto Man said brightly. "The only ones I know for sure are here are Pharaoh Man and Shade Man, but surely Mega Man wouldn't be so dumb—"

Proto Man cut off, for a few blocks ahead they could see Mega Man, Roll, and Brain Bot descend the steps of a giant pyramid straight into Pharaoh Man's lair.

"—Shit. Okay, we're going to need to sneak in there too."

"I could pretend to be a pizza delivery human," offered Top Man.

"Don't be a moron…" shot down Elec Man, tapping at his handheld computer. "If we can get closer, I can hack into the casino's computer mainframe and cause a distraction." He cast Proto Man a serious look. "But after that we won't have much time."

* * *

Just as Pharaoh Man had said, the receptionist gave them the key to a room at a decent price, but only after a long lecture about the dangers of gambling too much, which Mega Man found both unexpected and extremely refreshing (especially in front of Brain Bot), while Roll found it sanctimonious. Feeling good about his decision to stay there, Mega Man left reception headed down a sandstone hallway lit by wall sconces toward the elevators.

"Mega Man?"

Mega Man jumped, not expecting to hear a familiar voice call his name. He turned to the speaker, who was none other than Senator King, dressed as usual in his long camel hair coat and matching fedora, his grim-looking robotic bodyguards at his side.

"Uh, hi King...how did you know it was us?"

"I have my sources. You did lead a robot rebellion against Washington D.C. once…" he said, smiling understandingly at Mega Man, "...So high ranking officials like me pay just as much attention to your 'civilian guises' as the New York police. But relax, you're among friends. I myself am just on vacation, a little bird told me that today would be a good day to visit this casino. I never expected to find you here…"

He turned to Brain Bot, his eyes glimmering like polished stones in the dim casino light.

"So this must be Dr. Light's secret project. He looks very advanced," he appraised in a soft voice, stroking his short beard. His eyes flickered over to Mega Man."I'd wager my job you're on your way to Los Angeles to drop him off at Citadel."

This took Mega Man and Roll even further off guard than King recognizing their civilian guises, for Dr. Light had said that Brain Bot was to be kept a complete secret. "Uh…"

"Just a guess. You don't need to confirm or deny, like I said, we're all friends here." Senator King lowered his voice and leaned forward. "But isn't this a happy coincidence? I am heading back to California myself…I have my own personal security, I could escort you the rest of the way."

"I'd prefer to stay with Mega Man," Brain Bot spoke up, eyeing the expressionless bodyguards apprehensively.

Senator King straightened up, his eyes hardening. "Are you sure? It would be unfortunate if you were _stolen…_ "

"Thanks for your concern, but we can handle this," said Mega Man promptly.

Senator King looked affronted. "Very well. It was only an idea. I'm sure you have things covered. I will not bother you further." He strode off, his camel hair coat whisking behind him as his bodyguards plodded behind him, then paused. "By the way, I'm not sure if Dr. Light has told you yet, but it appears the next piece of equipment I have funded for your use against Wily will be the last, as Dr. Light will be ending our contract early," he mentioned casually without looking back. "Apparently there was a conflict of interest with his work with Citadel. It's a shame…I was proud to be of assistance. I hope the Stealth Glider, Marine Gear, Land Blazer, and Flight Suit serve you well in the future…"

Then he stalked off while Mega Man and Roll exchanged glances.

"Well, good riddance if you ask me," Roll sniffed.

* * *

Within the main floor of the casino pyramid, there came a merry chorus of musical beeping, echoed hundreds of times across the space of a football stadium, followed by what sounded like hard hail. Every slot machine spontaneously began spewing out silver rivers of coins to the delight of the guests (and the dismay of the casino workers), security closing in to prevent a riot.

Pharaoh Man watched the unfolding pandemonium through narrowed then switched on his communicator. "Someone's breaking in."

* * *

Mega Man, Roll, and Brain Bot had just stepped inside their room when suddenly the lights cut out, making the hotel as dark as a tomb. Sensing danger, both Mega Man and Roll reached instinctively for Brain Bot, but instead of grabbing onto his zip knit sweater they experienced blinding flashes of pain from a brief current of electricity. Mega Man stumbled backward, tripping over Rush and falling in a heap on the floor.

"Brain Bot? Where are you?" he called. There was no response.

Roll drew an electrical lantern from her utility arm and clicked it on. The door to their room stood ajar, but when they raced out into the dark hallway and looked from end to end, there was no sign of Brain Bot.

"Shit, he's gone!"

* * *

In the darkness, Brain Bot felt himself being whisked away down several floors. When the casino's lights came back on again, he was standing in a cramped basement storage room, and an android in black armor and a gold harlequin mask stood before him.

Brain Bot froze as the android placed the index finger of a red gloved hand against his forehead. It felt hot like a poker, electricity buzzing within and making his hair stand on end.

"My name is Elec Man. From this moment on, you will follow my every instruction or suffer dearly. Make one wrong move and my special ability _Thunder Beam_ will wipe out your circuits leaving only a shriveled husk."

Brain Bot stared at Elec Man's cold pitiless eyes and knew that every word he said about the _Thunder Beam_ was true. But he thought back to Mega Man's words before entering Las Vegas and something shifted inside himself, solidifying like stone, and Brain Bot maintained eye contact, unflinching.

After a moment, Elec Man lifted his finger away from Brain Bot's forehead, a small impressed smile on his face. "Takes nerve to call a bluff when you feel your life is on the line. It's rare to find another with both nerve and intellect…pity I have to take you to Wily."

Top Man, who had been watching this whole exchange from behind a stack of cardboard boxes, hurried over to Brain Bot, throwing Elec Man a dirty look. "That was messed up. Proto Man would never threaten you like that!"

"Isn't Proto Man kinda unambitious and apathetic though?" Brain Bot said dismissively. He was shivering with excitement, a smile on his face. "I did it! I didn't even panic, I just stood my ground!"

"Uh…" said Top Man, giving Brain Bot a slightly concerned look.

Proto Man strode up to them and looked Brain Bot over, taking in his black swept-back hair and dimpled smile.

"I wasn't really paying attention to you before, but…you kinda remind me of my brother when he was first activated, same mannerisms—you even _look_ a lot like him. And yet…" Proto Man trailed off, thinking. "…There's something off about you."

Brain Bot's smile disappeared and he looked down, avoiding Proto Man's gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Proto Man shrugged. "No matter. You should consider your future at Skull Fortress. Join us, and Wily can convert you into a battle robot—if you're lucky, he may even let you pick your special ability—so long as it's on theme, like shooting slimy brains or whatever."

Brain Bot wrinkled his nose. "Why would I want to join Wily? He seems puerile." He glanced over at Elec Man, who afforded him a small smile. Top Man caught this and looked put out.

Proto Man laughed. "Well, look who's growing a backbone! But no time to argue this here, this isn't exactly a place for a picnic…"

He gestured toward the storage room door, but before they left, pulled Elec Man aside for a quick private word.

"I appreciate you're done terrorizing the kid, but can you be a little meaner so that Top Man doesn't think you like the hostage more than him?"

"I _do_ like the hostage more than him. I'd rather be Brain Bot's prototype."

"You don't get to pick family."

Elec Man said nothing, shaking his head in annoyance.

* * *

Proto Man, Elec Man, and Top Man snuck Brain Bot into the underground parking structure where they planned to exit the casino. As they hurried down the row of expensive luxury cars, Proto Man pulled out the video communicator from his scarf.

"We've secured Brain Bot again, Doc—though he's wearing nothing but dorky human threads."

Brain Bot grimaced at him.

"No matter, bring him as he is!" Dr. Wily said happily, eagerness shining on his face. "Cut Man will pick you up in the Skullker as soon as you are outside! See, I _told_ you it would be no problem to sneak past the Syndicate—"

But as he spoke, three figures stepped out of the shadows, blocking their way forward.

Proto Man recognized Pharaoh Man and Shade Man from his previous encounters with the Syndicate. The third was unfamiliar, clad in rich black armor that shimmered from magenta to sapphire as he moved, its trimming gold. He carried a crystal ball tipped cane, his shoulders pauldrons were shaped like playing card decks, and he wore a harlequin mask over his completely armored head, an oversized bow tie at his throat, and a top hat perched jauntily on his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, Proto Man caught Elec Man scrutinizing both this new Robo Master and Shade Man in disbelief, and smirked—that was, until a silvery orb containing a camera lens drifted out in front of the Robot Masters. An involuntary shiver crept down Proto Man's spine. The last time he had seen this drone, he had been lying helpless on the floor, Yamato Man's blade wedged deeply into his blaster arm's shoulder.

"Think you jinxed us, Doc…" Proto Man hissed, tilting the video communicator so that Dr. Wily could see the Robot Masters. Then, calling over, "Aw shoot, knew we took a wrong turn somewhere. Serves us right from taking directions from Wily's grandson!" He jerked a thumb backward at Brain Bot and sighed helplessly. "Humans, am I right?"

Centum ignored Proto Man. "Sending Proto and Elec Man to do your dirty work, Wily? How shameful! Though I am pleased to see them. Still, Brain Bot is of no use to you. Turn him over."

"Elec Man, don't let them take Brain Bot!" Dr. Wily shrieked. Elec Man instantly positioned himself in front of Brain Bot, and Proto Man followed suit, nonplussed that the Syndicate was _actually_ interested in Brain Bot. "I know _what_ he is, and you're not having him!"

At this, Brain Bot stiffened and shifted closer to Elec Man.

"You don't know anything," Centum responded coldly. "You're just a covetous fool steeped in failure."

"I know _far more_ than you give me credit for, you overrated inebriate! I know just how valuable Brain Bot is, just as I know you've been trying to steal _my_ robot for the past year! As if Proto Man would take orders from anyone but me!"

"Um—" Proto Man felt like interjecting here (he proudly took orders from _no one)_ but was also completely taken off guard by the sudden smack-talking between Centum and Dr. Wily. The other robots were equally silent as they listened intently, though Pharaoh Man, Shade Man, and the third Robot Master were eyeing Elec Man and shooting Proto Man murderous looks. Likewise, Elec Man had a focused look on his face, sizing the Syndicate Robot Masters up, both sides poised to fight at command. Top Man stood next to Brain Bot, glaring at the camera orb in defiance.

The camera orb was still focused on Dr. Wily's picture. "You have some nerve saying that to me. I can build my own robots, I only steal them when they would be better off under my wing," Centum replied evenly. "Although, Proto is a very interesting robot, in his way."

"His name is _Proto Man,_ and he is the most powerful war machine I have ever built, far more powerful than any of your pathetic Robot Masters!"

"Your inventions are tasteless products of mad science that do not compare to Proto or my own."

"How dare you—I've been designing robots since before you were born! You will never be half the scientist I am!" Dr. Wily's angry shout was so intense that Proto Man could feel vibrations coming from the communicator's speakers between his fingers. "You who hide your face behind cameras while I proudly flaunt my genius for the world to see! You who cower in the shame of secrecy while I am brave enough to invent mind control machines, shrink rays, naval fortresses that consume warships, giant robotic spiders—"

"Everything you said was idiotic. We are done here. Say goodbye to these robots, you will never see them again."

A pencil-sized laser extended from the side of the camera orb. Before Proto Man could react, it had shot a hole right between Dr. Wily's angry bulging eyes. The screen cut off immediately, and the communicator gave a slow dying hiss.

"Much better," Centum said serenely, the laser retracting and blending seamlessly into the silvery orb's body. "Now it's just us."

Proto Man was pretty annoyed at Dr. Wily for losing his head and dumping gasoline all over this situation, especially after what Proto Man had went through last time he had faced Centum and his Robot Masters. But unlike last time, Centum's voice was no longer livid (post Dr. Wily's forced departure), but warm, almost… _paternal._

"You're a class act, Centum. Kidnapping defenseless bots is low," began Proto Man, Top Man nodding behind him. "I mean, he's an annoying know-it-all and Wily's totally trying to do the same thing, but _we saw him first._ "

Top Man stopped nodding. Elec Man rolled his eyes.

The camera orb swiveled toward Proto Man."…Moving speech. I've had my eye on Brain Bot much longer than Wily has."

"I thought you said you weren't spying on Light," Proto Man replied. As far as he knew, Brain Bot had been a complete secret.

"I'm not."

"Chh. Whatever. There's something sketchy about you—er, besides the whole mob boss thing. You're not getting Brain Bot without a fight."

"Why let it come to this? You were critically damaged last time, Proto."

" _Stop calling me Proto,_ I'm not one of your robots."

"Correct, you're one of Dr. Light's creations."

Proto Man liked that even less than Centum calling him Proto.

"You must be so tired, Proto," Centum continued. "Being estranged from family takes its toll."

"Mind your own business!" Proto Man snapped furiously. He could sense Brain Bot watching curiously. "How would you like it if I knew all about you and _your_ secrets?"

Centum gave an amused chuckle. "You are too caught up with yourself to notice secrets, even when they are right under your nose." The orb began to drift backward. "I'd rather not anyone in this room to get hurt, but I feel my hand is forced. You are in the Syndicate's domain and are using my own robots against me, after all. Top Man, you should hide with Brain Bot while my other Robot Masters sort this out."

"Uh…" it was clear Top Man was not happy to comply with an order from Centum, but at the same time thought this was the best course of action to protect Brain Bot. Glaring at the camera orb and casting Proto Man and Elec Man fleeting anxious looks, he took shelter with Brain Bot behind a trendy sports car with winged spoilers while Elec Man and Proto Man stepped forward.

"Let me guess, Magic Man?" Proto Man addressed the unknown Robot Master.

The Robot Master narrowed his heterochromatic eyes. "Bingo, scarf boy."

"Heh, what kind of magic?" asked Proto Man, thinking uncomfortably of Lotos.

"Oh you'll find out," Magic Man responded sweetly, a deck of playing cards appearing in his hand.

Elec Man wrinkled his nose at Magic Man. "…What are you wearing?"

"What? I like it," stammered Magic Man, hurt by Elec Man's rebuke. "Shut up! You are so mean!" Then, backtracking and with a furtive look at the camera orb, mumbled, "…Also, sorry about your situation I guess."

Pharaoh Man cleared his throat importantly with a quick sidelong look at Magic Man, silencing him, then back to Proto Man, drawing a blaster. Proto Man did the same while strings of bright white electricity flashed between Elec Man's hands, and Shade Man spread his wings and to take flight.

Then the combatants rushed at each other.

* * *

Frantically on the lookout for Brain Bot, Mega Man and Roll changed out of their human tourist disguises and took to the streets. Pharaoh Man was nowhere to be found, but the Las Vegas police department was on high alert.

"Wily's robots have been reported to be in the area, and the Skulker was spotted within twenty miles of Las Vegas," a robo-officer informed them.

It was as they feared.

"Well, Dr. Light's homing device says he's still here," said Mega Man encouragingly. "So Wily can't have him yet!"

"Poor Brain Bot, he must be so scared…" murmured Roll.

* * *

Top Man huddled with his back against the sports car's driver door while Brain Bot crouched at his side, peering over the hood. On the other side, they could hear the fierce clamor of battle—the bursts of blaster fire, the crashing of electricity, the whistling of thrown cards, and the flapping of wings.

Top Man tugged Brain Bot's sleeve gently. "Get down, Brain Bot, you don't want to see that, it's going to be ugly."

Brain Bot tugged his arm impatiently away from Top Man. "No, I want to watch," he replied, his eyes still glued to the fight.

"What? Why?"

"I'm studying them for weaknesses. Elec Man is an impressive fighter, isn't he?"

"I guess…" Top Man grumbled, annoyed at Brain Bot's continued admiration of Elec Man (who he did not see as a good role model) and that the innocent lab assistant he was trying to rescue from the Syndicate was becoming desensitized to violence.

* * *

During the chaos of the battle, the camera orb pivoted around like a pinball, its lens focused on Elec Man and drawing steadily nearer.

Elec Man noticed the attention and ducked out of line-of-sight behind one of the parking structure's thick columns. The drone had destroyed Proto Man's video communicator, perhaps it was also equipped with an electro-neutralizer pulse gun or other disabling technology. Dr. Wily's programming wouldn't let himself to be captured, but Elec Man had also secretly been longing to speak to his creator, and he hesitated to strike.

He could hear the soft whir from the hovering orb's engines on the other side of the column over the hum of electricity dancing between the fingers of his right hand.

"You helped Proto sneak in, didn't you?" Centum's voice was soft, gentle, proud. "You were always my clever boy."

Elec Man pressed himself against the column, listening, holding off the attack for as long as Dr. Wily's programming would allow. Centum seemed to realize the delicacy of the situation, for the camera orb made no sudden movements, remaining completely still on the opposite side of the column.

"You don't have to say anything," Centum's voice came again. "I will never forgive Wily for stealing you. Know that my robots will not hold back against you because of your abilities, but it is only with the intent to bring you back to your rightful place…should you want it," he added uncertainly.

Elec Man wondered why Centum was talking like this, then remembered Top Man's desertion and scowled.

"But you and Proto are a stronger team than I would have anticipated. If my other robots are unsuccessful, then there is something important I must tell you," Centum continued in a solemn, defeated tone. "You may have heard about the fiasco at the ballet. Top Man was doing an important mission for me, but it was sabotaged. Those responsible are still at large, and as a witness, Top Man may be in danger. I know you take orders from Wily, but if you can, please…try to look after him. You may find this silly, but I consider you both my sons."

Centum's voice was trembling, but the words sunk deep within Elec Man, churning buried emotions like no one else could.

"Of course," Elec Man responded without reservation. "…But my current programming can't take further instruction from you. I'm sorry."

He darted around the column, firing a _Thunder Beam._ The camera orb exploded, its lens shattering in a shower of shards, then fell to the ground where it smoldered softly. Elec Man stared at it for a moment, then hurried to rejoin the fray.

* * *

Magic Man was a fast and difficult-to-hit target. He had been flicking cards from the deck into the parking garage, which spun deadly fast through the battle like shurikens, yet always returned to his hand. Though they looked like ordinary plastic casino cards, it was impossible for Proto Man or Elec Man to shoot them down. However, the few that managed to hit Proto Man hurt no worse than paper cuts. He therefore considered them merely showy distractions—that was, until he managed to copy _Noise Crush_ , only to find that its weapon energy was somehow depleting faster than the rate at which he as spending it—Magic Man's _Magic Cards_ were stealing energy and returning it to the Syndicate Robot Masters, providing a slow counter for his weapon copy ability. Still, other than this small annoyance, Magic Man seemed harmless, so Proto Man focused on Shade Man and Pharaoh Man—and while they were both extremely difficult to fight, he _had_ fought them before, and with Elec Man at his side, the fight felt balanced in their favor.

Elec Man had a different view as he kept close to Proto Man. "Pay more attention to Magic Man, I've been watching him. I don't know why, but he's been trying to single you out."

Proto Man scoffed, for he had noticed no such thing. "So what, he's inexperienced! He's what, two months old at most? And those cards barely do any damage. Pharaoh Man and Shade Man are the real threats. ….Must be tough fighting Centum's other bots, huh?" he added as he watched Elec Man bring Pharaoh Man to his knees with a _Thunder Beam_.

"Not really. They should be competent enough to defend themselves," Elec Man responded neutrally as they both dodged an air strife from Shade Man's sharp claws. "Now pay attention—"

"Damn you're cold-blooded," continued Proto Man, brushing off Elec Man's second warning as he shot Shade Man, knocking him out of the air into a parked convertible, its car alarm ringing throughout the parking structure. "Still…I kinda feeling weird about making you fight them."

"That's because deep down you're a good guy programmed with a bleeding conscience."

"You can be a bad guy with a conscience!" Proto Man challenged hotly, whirling at Elec Man. "And I do n—"

_"Look out!"_

Proto Man had just enough time to see the Jack of Clubs whistling toward him when Elec Man shoved him out of the way, the card hitting him instead.

Elec Man crashed to the parking lot floor, his eyes shut and his body completely still.

"Oh _shit…_ " muttered Magic Man.

"Elec Man!" cried Top Man, springing over the sports car and bolting to Elec Man's side. "…Elec Man?"

Proto Man rounded on Magic Man, who had frozen with his hand over his mouth with his eyes on Elec Man, and reached for his arm. "Big mistake…" he growled as he copied Magic Man's weapon. "Top Man, get Elec Man out of here!"

The rest of the fight became a blur. Proto Man fired _Magic Cards_ in rapid succession, regaining lost energy from the Syndicate Robot Masters…but none of the cards had the same effect as the one that had struck down Elec Man. Still, the Syndicate Robot Masters were no match for Proto Man's renewed attack. Soon all three were weaponless, Shade Man lying powered down on the ground with his wings fanned out like a fallen hang glider, Pharaoh Man paralyzed by Shade Man's petrification weapon, and Magic Man blasted into the next casino by _Pharaoh Shot_.

Proto Man stood over Pharaoh Man, his blaster arm reverting into a hand. "Tell Centum to stop following us."

"W…wait…" Pharaoh Man croaked weakly, his body still rigid.

But Proto Man had noticed Brain Bot, who had been left unguarded and was making a break for it, and quickly grabbed him by the collar.

"Where do you think you're going? It's a dangerous city, wouldn't want you falling into the wrong hands…"

* * *

Proto Man escorted Brain Bot to the parking garage's staircase.

Inside the landing, Elec Man was lying completely still on the poured concrete ground while Top Man knelt over him, trembling. "Proto Man, he's not moving…" he said helplessly as Proto Man nudged Brain Bot through the door.

Briefly holding his plasma cannon to Brain Bot's chest as a warning, Proto Man let go of Brain Bot and sank next to Elec Man. Yet on closer look, he noticed Elec Man was still powered on—his breathing patterns were regular, though shallow.

"Hey Elec Man, can you hear me?"

Elec Man stirred weakly. "I feel weird…" he replied, his voice faint, his eyes still shut.

Relieved that Elec Man was at least talking, Proto Man and Top Man checked him over for possible signs of damage. But aside from his lack of movement, Elec Man appeared unharmed, his energy levels were even normal.

"It's almost like he's sleeping," murmured Top Man hesitantly.

Proto Man shook his head in bewilderment. "Elec Man's not built to sleep…"

Brain Bot crouched next to them, reaching for the _Magic Card_ which was still clinging to Elec Man's shoulder like a sticker. Holding it up the staircase's fluorescent lighting, Brain Bot twiddled a dial on his glasses to switch the lens for higher magnification.

"It must have contained a virus which forces android targets into a sleep mode," he pronounced thoughtfully. "Though Elec Man may not be programmed to sleep, he still has enough human attributes for this to be extremely effective."

Proto Man plucked the card from Brain Bot's hand. "A sleeping virus?" he muttered, looking down at the portrait of the Hanged Man before crushing it in his fist. "Centum's playing dirty…but Elec Man will be okay, Magic Man was aiming at me and Centum's trying to take me in undamaged, the bastard…he's treating me like a child."

"You _are_ a child," quipped Elec Man with some effort. Brain Bot gave a short titter at this while Proto Man scowled.

"Nevermind that, how are we going to get rid of the virus?" Top Man asked anxiously.

"I can get rid of it," offered Brain Bot instantly, stooping over Elec Man with a look of concentration that reminded Proto Man _strongly_ of Dr. Light.

Proto Man pulled him back sharply. "Yeah, nice try, Brainy, but I don't want you reprogramming one of our strongest Robot Masters. Wily will take care of him when we're back at Skull Fortress."

At this, Brain Bot frowned. He tapped his glasses, reverting their magnification back to normal. "But I'm not going back to Skull Fortress with you," he said seriously, stepping back from them.

"Aw, after all the trouble we went to get you? You wouldn't want to hurt Dr. Wily's feelings, he has a nasty temp—"

Before Proto Man could finish, Brain Bot lunged, striking Proto Man with punches and kicks. But Proto Man was much more experienced, and after a brief scuffle, had twisted Brain Bot's arm behind his back.

"Let me go!" warned Brain Bot who couldn't break free.

"You've been watching us fight!" laughed Proto Man, impressed. "Are you _sure_ you don't want Wily to convert you into a combat robot? With just a little more training, you might even be as good as Mega—"

But while Proto Man was talking, Brain Bot had squeezed his eyes shut, and with his free arm reached for the side of Proto Man's helmet. At his touch, five images flashed through Proto Man's brain.

Stars. Gray sand. A skeletal, four-fingered hand. Violet sparks. Total darkness.

The next thing Proto Man knew, he was lying face down on the concrete, and Brain Bot was gone.

"What the hell was that?!" he growled, climbing gingerly to his feet and shaking his head to clear it.

"I dunno, you just…collapsed," replied Top Man, who was still kneeling over Elec Man. "Do you sometimes get stress headaches?"

_"…What?"_

"Sometimes humans pass out when they get an acute, sudden stress headache, and since you're programmed to be like a human—"

"I didn't just pass out from stress! That bot did something weird, and now he's run off! Why didn't you stop him?"

Top Man gave a guilty start but offered no excuse.

"Thanks a lot," said Proto Man sarcastically, but he didn't pursue Top Man's blatant insubordination any further. "I'm starting to see why Wily and Centum both want him so badly—he's no ordinary robot," he mused. He crossed over to Elec Man and shook his shoulder gently. "Hey, sleeping beauty…you doin' okay?"

"…Is this what it's like to be you?" Elec Man mumbled blearily.

"I don't sleep this much!" objected Proto Man. "By the way, Brain Bot escaped, so I gotta go after him."

Despite his present condition, Elec Man responded swiftly, "Don't leave me alone with Top Man."

Top Man, who had faithfully been standing guard over Elec Man the entire time, looked crushed.

"You don't want me to stick around!" Proto Man said hastily with an apologetic look at Top Man, who had just shot him a jealous look as cold as an icy tundra. "I wouldn't be able to resist drawing silly things on your face, like a beard! ...You'd still look good. Anyway, Top Man's going to take you back to Skull Fortress, Wily can get you back to normal, okay?"

Though Top Man was still watching him with a deep look of betrayal, Proto Man bent down and added softly, "Hey…thanks for what you did back there, but I _never_ expect anyone to sacrifice themself on my behalf. Even though you're programmed to follow Wily's order you know that, right? Next time just let me get hit!"

But as he said this, Proto Man wondered if, had their positions been reversed, Elec Man could have held his own against the Robot Masters (Proto Man's own key to victory had been his weapon copy ability) or if instead they would have been captured…

Elec Man said nothing. Frustrated with Elec Man's crypticness, Proto Man turned to Top Man. "For what it's worth, I think the way Elec Man's treating you is real immature—I'd be thrilled to have the same bond with my little brother that you're trying to have with him."

Top Man said nothing, but his face softened slightly.

* * *

After ditching Proto Man in the parking garage's stairwell (Top Man had even wished him good luck) Brain Bot snuck carefully back to the main floor of the casino.

Ahead, he could hear angry voices—Pharaoh Man had beat him back to the lobby, but was currently preoccupied with the attention of Senator King.

"What do you mean he's no longer here? Where is he?" demanded Senator King through gnashed teeth, his bearded face twisted. He was flanked by his two robotic bodyguards, who towered over Pharaoh Man.

"We don't know, but we're searching," replied Pharaoh Man wearily, his striped headdress slightly crooked and his white armor scorched with plasma fire.

Using the papyrus reeds as cover, Brain Bot carefully crept past them toward the main entrance of the pyramid casino and out into the brilliant sunlight.

Roll and Mega Man were standing in the street outside, their anxious faces lighting up as they caught sight of Brain Bot.

"Brain Bot! You escaped!" greeted Roll, overjoyed. Met gave a cheerful beep while Rush bounded up, his tail wagging.

"Yes…the Bad-bots are morons," said Brain Bot with a weak smile. "But we need to get out of this city, quick!"

"Yeah, this didn't turn out to be that great of a hiding place…somehow Wily found us anyway," agreed Mega Man while Roll gave a chagrinned grin. "We'll try for someplace smaller. We've got your armor—let's go."

* * *

The small jet was built for two pilots sitting one behind the other. Elec Man was curled in the back seat under the brown fleece blanket Top Man had placed over him, his un-helmeted head propped against the window as a second rolled-up blanket acted as a pillow. Though his systems were stuck in the strange imitation of a sleeping state an advanced android would have, he was reasonably comfortable as he listened to the soft lull of the jet engines.

Top Man's tentative voice punctured the stillness. "Still doing alright, Elec Man?"

"I would be if someone quit bothering me."

"Sorry," Top Man said quickly.

Elec Man savored the silence for a few moments longer, then reluctantly asked, "Why have you been sticking around me? I'm not nice and I never intend to change."

"That's what Proto Man said, but, you know—" Top Man began hesitantly. But it appeared he had been waiting for an opening like this, and quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry what I said back at the hangar. I didn't mean to offend you, it's just I've been running from the Syndicate most of my life, and I've been so alone, and you're the closest I have to any of my family—"

"It's fine," said Elec Man, cutting through the sudden torrent of sentimentality.

Top Man, who had expected a much different answer, glanced in shock over his shoulder, though it was difficult to see Elec Man's face in the narrow cockpit. "Really? You're not mad anymore?"

"No. Centum asked me to watch over you. He thinks whatever you were doing on his orders has put you in danger from some unknown enemy."

"Oh," muttered Top Man, his face clouding as his voice turned snide, "Well I suppose anything _Centum_ asks—"

"I don't care if you're a traitor to the Syndicate anymore," Elec Man interrupted coldly. "But Centum is our creator, and if you want to have any relationship with me you must respect that just as I must accept that he built you too."

Top Man thought about these terms, his feelings on Centum mixed. "Alright," he said finally, his spirits picking up.

"Good," said Elec Man, sinking further under the blanket, which smelled lightly of desert sand and aviation fuel. Despite himself, his voice softened. "Tell me more about yourself and what happened at the ballet…I want to hear it from you."

**_To be continued…_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now caught up to FFN


	28. Brain Bots, Part 3

Mega Man, Roll, and Brain Bot left Las Vegas just as the sun began to sink low in the horizon, throwing long shadows behind them and painting the sky vibrant purples and reds. The terrain was rocky and desolate, filled with tall saguaro cactuses whose arms were tipped in white flowers. Mega Man and Brain Bot rode the Land Blazer, which kicked up a trail of dust behind them, while Rush flew low to ground beside it. They didn't feel much at ease—for they knew Skull Fortress couldn't be far away.

"Wily's not gunna stop until he gets Brain Bot back…" Roll called over from aboard Rush's jet.

"You're right, Roll, but I have an idea," responded Mega Man "Brain Bot? You're going to whip up a little device for me."

Brain Bot's eyes lit up. "Really? Excellent!"

As Mega Man explained his plan, Rush and Roll pulled up alongside the Land Blazer, Rush's jet only feet away. "Hey Brain Bot, you've been quiet about how you escaped the Bad Bots," she said, her pony tail streaming behind her. "Tell us, what happened?"

Brain Bot stiffened slightly, and he gazed down at the Land Blazer's control panel. "Well, when the lights went out, someone pulled me into the basement of the casino. They were going to escape with me through the parking garage, but I fought them off!" he replied in a meek but excited voice.

"Really? All by yourself?" asked Roll, impressed but skeptical.

"Well, no, casino security did try to help," Brain Bot admitted without meeting her eye.

"Casino security? You mean like Pharaoh Man?" Roll scoffed, crossing her arms. "He wasn't much help, he just looks tough."

"He _was_ tough when I fought him," Mega Man countered. "…You didn't like the Vegas Robot Masters much, did you Brain Bot?" he added gently.

Brain Bot gave a small smile, still not looking at either of them. "They seemed intimidating at first, but they're okay now that I'm used to them. But Proto Man and Elec Man were too much for the security Robot Masters to handle—though they were able to take down Elec Man, it was up to me to finish Proto Man off."

"…By yourself?" Roll asked again, her doubt evident.

Mega Man was catching on to the strange evasiveness of Brain Bot's story as well, and was becoming curious and suspicious. "Brain Bot…is there something you're not telling us?"

Brain Bot hesitated. He was like someone on top of a high diving board, deliberating the jump. "What I'm about to tell you is _top secret._ You cannot tell anyone," he said finally.

Roll and Rush glided a foot nearer to the Land Blazer. "Go on," she pressed eagerly.

Brain Bot gave a curt nod, steeling himself up for the plunge. "I'm programmed with a prodigious level of intelligence, but that's only half of what makes me… _advanced,"_ he stated matter of factly, then drew a small breath. "You see, I don't run on plasma power or any kind of conventional robot energy. Instead, I run on a brand new power source, something," he lowered his voice, " _Not from Earth._ In its natural state, it's volatile, dangerous, unpredictable." His eyes shifted meaningfully to Mega Man. "You've had exposure to this type of energy at least once before in the form of chronitons."

It was as though something were snapping into place in Mega Man's mind, the key to he inexplicable connection he felt with Brain Bot, their similarities…Brain Bot must have known this all along… "Y-yes. Wait, you're running on chronitons? Those things that made me time travel thirty years?"

"Or at least caused a giant explosion that made you _dream_ about time-traveling thirty years," Roll teased Mega Man with a friendly punch. "But Dr. Light would never allow something so dangerous to be used as a robot's power source!"

Brain Bot shook his head in agreement. "Of course not! Dr. Cossack has studied this subject matter for _years_. He was able to convert the chronitons into a stable form that could be safely incorporated into robots. He calls it 'quintessence.'" Brain Bot looked ahead and the sinking sun glowing like dying embers, his eyes distant. "Though the practical application and use in robot is similar to plasma power, quintessence is far more powerful. Back at the casino, I touched Proto Man's helmet while accessing the quintessence within my power core, overloading his systems and forcing him to reboot, which bought me enough time to get out of there."

Mega Man and Roll blinked at each other. There was a short silence, broken only by the roar of Rush's jet engines and the rumbling of the Land Blazer's treads.

"So you see why Wily wants to steal me so badly," Brain Bot added somberly. Then his brow furrowed. "That, and I think he wants me to run his schemes for him. As if I'd be remotely interested."

"His schemes are pretty bad," acknowledged Roll, grinning.

But Brain Bot didn't seem in the mood for humor. "I told you far more than I should have, and I only told you because we're, well, we're—"

"Friends," Mega Man finished for him.

Brain Bot gave him a shy smile. "And I thought it only right that you know, since…" he looked at Mega Man, realized he didn't need to finish the sentence, then abruptly changed the subject. "So…Dr. Light built Proto Man too?""

This put Roll and Mega Man on the evasive side. "What makes you say that?" Mega Man asked sharply.

"It's rather obvious, isn't it?" responded Brain Bot. "I could tell when I first saw him. I won't tell anyone," he added earnestly. "His crimes seem to have gotten him in over his head anyway."

Mega Man and Roll looked at each other for a moment, but both decided Brain Bot was as trustworthy with this secret as they were with Brain Bot's secret and relaxed.

"Yeah, unfortunately Proto Man never really cares how much trouble working for Wily gets him in," Mega Man muttered with dull humor. "It's all just a game to him."

* * *

While Pharaoh Man left to search Las Vegas with the other Robot Masters, King stormed back to his hotel suite, leaving his robotic bodyguards outside, and sank into a linen-upholstered armchair.

The Brain Bot was missing—abducted by Wily's robots, or at least that's what it looked like. From a digital topographic map from his laptop, King watched a flashing blue light inch out of Las Vegas, then connected to a private line on his communicator. He waited for some time for a response, impatiently drumming his hand against an ebony armrest.

"King? This is an unexpected surprise." The voice was strange, starting harsh and garbled as though by some sort of mechanical filter, then resolving into something child-like. its owner was as dangerous as it was stupid—the Grey Devil. "Why are you calling me?"

"We have a mutual enemy. I heard you threatened to bomb Wily's base on the moon last year."

The Grey Devil giggled, its voice ringing like a synthesized bell. "Annoying mad scientist and his pathetic robots…if only the devil series had that ability, I'd litter the desert with their severed, non-amorphous limbs!"

"Charming," responded King dryly, wrinkling his nose. "I would like you to undertake a special mission on my behalf. Wily is after a robot, a very _advanced_ robot…but I want to get to him first."

"Why should I help? I don't take orders from _you."_

"You've demonstrated you don't take orders from anyone, which I respect," King responded smoothly, "…Just as I respect you are not fond of humans."

"I've thought about destroying my creator…" the Grey Devil admitted smugly. "But I still need someone for repairs."

"This robot is the key to ridding your dependence on a human master. He is just as smart as his human creators, if not smarter. Bring him to me, and I will persuade him to join our cause."

"Robots are pathetic…but robots are better than humans, so a robot roboticist is better than a human roboticist…" it worked out slowly. There was a pause, the Grey Devil seemingly mulling this over. "' _Our_ cause?'"

"You may not consider my kind valuable, but you know how much influence my position of power grants me. The robot is on his way to Los Angeles—but don't harm him! If I have to take him in for repairs, it will defeat the purpose of capturing him in the first place."

"Los Angeles? Oh, I think I get what's so special about this robot now," the Grey Devil trilled triumphantly. "Fine, I'll help you out…if only to amuse me."

"Excellent…I shall give you instructions on how to find him in the morning. Only, be sure not to tell anyone I sent you his way."

"I don't get how you're a senator. Who would vote for you? You seem like a two-faced dick."

King smiled in a shark-like way, amused at the rare flash of perception from one from the Devil Series. "You should meet other politicians. I play the part _perfectly._ "

* * *

Night fell, plunging the desert into a deep blue with a bright moonlit sky above. Ahead sprawled a small village between the dark shapes of mesas, neon-lit signs flashing cheerfully in the darkness. The buildings were old and built of broad, weather worn planks with peeling paint and wrap around porches.

"There's Sea Gulch…so far, so good," murmured Roll as they passed by a gas station with old-fashioned pumps.

"Right, it's the perfect place to stop for the night," answered Mega Man. He knew he and Roll both suspected (with chagrin) that Sea Gulch, far on the outskirts of any major city or highway, had never had robot visitors. "Let's check out that hotel," he added, pointing to a red neon sign blinking 'Vacancy', a second sign boasting of air conditioning and cable TV underneath.

To prepare for check in, they pulled over to temporarily change back into their human attire. Then they parked the Land Blazer in the old street in front of the hotel, tufty weeds growing through the cracks in the concrete. Met remained behind to guard the Land Blazer (Brain Bot felt worried about leaving her alone, though Roll assured him she'd be okay and Met gave him an affirmative salute before tucking her body underneath her hard hat).

"Oh! Can't forget this," muttered Mega Man, grabbing a bundle Met had handed him from under the Land Blazer's seat.

At the front desk, they dodged as many questions as they could from the friendly and curious hotel manger, then received a skeleton key to the best room the hotel had to offer—which had two twin sized beds with drab brown bedding, a single pull-cord night lamp, wainscot walls, and a TV that resembled a giant microwave with wooden legs and rabbit ears antennae.

While Mega Man and Brain Bot changed back into their armor in the small bathroom, Roll turned off the noisy window AC unit and opened the sliding glass pane, allowing in the pleasant breeze from the desert plains that stretched for miles around them. All the better to hear approaching intruders. Then they settled down for the night, Roll taking one bed with Rush curled up on the hardwood floor next to her, while Mega Man and Brain Bot shared the other.

Despite their exhaustion, Mega Man could sense Brain Bot was having a difficult time falling asleep. He himself was finding it difficult—the mattress was stiff, the pillow lumpy, and sleeping in one's armor was never comfortable, and he had his elbows tucked in so as not to crowd Brain Bot.

"Still nervous?" he whispered to Brain Bot, rolling over to face him.

In the darkness, he saw Brain Bot's form shift in a small shrug. "Back at the pyramid casino…I don't think King was supposed to be there. Some trouble will come out of it…I think it's best I get to Citadel as soon as possible."

Mega Man was surprised by this statement, but before he could ask any questions, Brain Bot rolled over to his side, turning his back to Mega Man, and a second later Mega Man could hear the soft sounds of his breathing. Left alone to his thoughts, Mega Man stared up at the ceiling, watching the ceiling fan rotate, slowly drifting off…

* * *

Still tracking Brain Bot's homing signal, it was not difficult for Proto Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, Snake Man, and Dark Man to follow Mega Man to Sea Gulch, and it was even easier to pinpoint their exact location when they spotted the bright orange Land Blazer parked outside the hotel.

Guts Man had the most difficulty sneaking inside, as being the heaviest of the group it was difficult not to tread on old floor boards without them squeaking. He had even more difficulty after Cut Man sliced a neat oblong hole through the locked door of Mega Man's room which Cut Man, Snake Man, Dark Man, and Proto Man had easily climbed through. After unsuccessfully attempting to squeeze through after them, he charged like a battering ram, ripping the door frame from the plaster walls as he burst into the room.

The sound woke up the four sleeping figures. Mega Man and Roll sprang out of their beds, Rush growling, while Brain Bot sat up, blinking sleepily at them.

Proto Man just smiled at them. "Step aside, little brother! We've come for Brain Bot!"

Snake Man fired a _Search Snake,_ sending Roll, Rush, and Mega Man scattering in opposite directions for cover as it tore around the room, chewing through the bed and nightstand like a gigantic termite. During the chaos, Dark Man tossed his electro magnetic energy at Mega Man, Roll, and Rush, which pinned them against the walls as it took the form of black, u-shaped brackets.

Guts Man lumbered over Brain Bot, who had apparently frozen in fright. At the last second, Brain Bot decided to scramble away, but Guts Man heaved him easily out of the covers and tucked him under his arm like a farmer scooping up a fat chicken from its coop. At the same time, two more balls of electromagnetic energy enclosed around Brain Bot's hands, creating a dense barrier similar to the ones trapping Roll and Mega Man.

"Keep you from trying any weird abilities on us again," Proto Man explained good-naturedly, smirking.

Brain Bot, completely dumbfounded, let his arms hang loosely in front of him as Guts Man carried him back toward the door.

"Enjoy your stay, Mega creep," Guts Man called over his shoulder, giving Mega Man a thumbs up.

* * *

The striped rocks of the badlands were gray and misty, the tall towers of Skull Fortress like skyscrapers as the Skullker flew through the cavernous eye socket of the horned skull-shaped façade.

Disguised as Brain Bot, Mega Man took everything in as he was pushed out into the hangar by Cut Man and Guts Man. It was familiar to his last and only visit to Skull Fortress—only now, he was an experienced bomber robot, and unlike last time, he felt excited anticipation bubble inside at this return visit.

The electromagnetic energy trapping his hands (which had a strange, fuzzy feeling, like sticking his hands into a bathroom hand dryer) was a bit of an inconvenience, as it prevented him from copying weapons or creating a plasma cannon, but he needed to play the part of prisoner as long as possible. Cut Man and Guts Man were marching on either side of him while Proto Man lead the way, Snake Man and Dark Man trailing behind.

They lead Mega Man up into Dr. Wily's gloomy laboratory, which was starkly lit by columns of light from spotlight-like bay lights, wiring and circuitry snaking around the walls and ceilings like cybernetic vines.

As they entered, Proto Man broke off from the group and headed straight to a lab table where Elec Man was lying with half-lidded eyes. Several panels on Elec Man armor had been opened and connected by wires to a computer terminal behind him, which was humming softly. Top Man was perched on the lab table next to Elec Man, his orange boots swinging lightly.

"You're awake—hope you had nice dreams—How long do you have to do that?" Proto Man asked, pointing to the cables.

A cold knife of jealousy stabbed Mega Man as he realized Proto Man was showing Elec Man, of all robots, concern, when Proto Man had spent most of his life tricking and antagonizing his own family. _Birds of a feather…_

"Another few hours," Elec Man replied boredly, his voice faint. "Wily's anti-viruses are inefficient. It feels like my circuits have been stuffed with cotton."

"Serves you right for kidnapping defenseless robots, you slimy crook," Mega Man called over hotly. Though he was perfectly mimicking Brain Bot's voice, he couldn't keep the scathing out.

He regretted saying this, however, as Elec Man glanced over at Mega Man suspiciously, his nose wrinkling. "'Slimy crook?' How infantile. …Brain Bot, is that you? You're acting like a completely different person…"

Fortunately, before this line of inquiry could continue, Top Man also looked up at Mega Man, an unmistakable flash of dismay flickering across his eyes. But he masked this quickly as he leaped to the floor lightly and sauntered up to them, smiling broadly.

"Long time no see, Brain Bot!" he greeted heartily, then pivoted smoothly on his heels to face Proto Man. "Now that he's Wily's prisoner, why don't we give him the grand tour of Skull Fortress? Show him how nice living here is, make him feel at home. I could escort him myself, I know everyone!" Top Man gave Mega Man a friendly wink. "Trust me, you'll fit right in!"

"You'd escort him to a fully fueled jeep so he can escape. Do yourself a favor and stay out of this, Toppy," Proto Man advised sharply. From the lab table, Elec Man had shot Top Man an annoyed and embarrassed look.

Top Man's eyes momentarily connected with Mega Man's again. It was clear he wasn't about to give up a rescue attempt, though he temporarily stood down, making a show of eyeing Proto Man's blaster arm warily.

Dr. Wily came striding suddenly out of the darkness, a large toothy grin on his face as he stopped before Mega Man, the rest of the Robot Masters forming a loose circle around them.

"How did you find us?" Mega Man asked.

"You're the _smart one_ , you tell me, Mwa-ha!" Dr. Wily taunted.

"Well, Dr. Light installs tracking devices in all his robots—" Mega Man began, casually adjusting his glasses as though reciting an answer to a teacher's question in front of the class (Dr. Wily's smile had evaporated like ice on a skittle). "Although, the frequency response could be improved and signal masking is a—"

"QUIET!" bellowed Dr. Wily, Proto Man, and the Robot Masters.

"You talk too much!" growled Dr. Wily. "But you're right, we picked up your homing signal!"

"Mega Man thought he was sooo smart hiding out in that small town," put in Proto Man. Sea Gulch had been within a hundred miles of Skull Fortress.

"And now, I have the Brain Bot, my plans will be unstoppable!" boomed Dr. Wily. He crossed over toward Mega Man, one arm held suspiciously behind his back. Mega Man took a step back as Dr. Wily leaned toward him, for Dr. Wily's leer was particularly unpleasant. "I've been studying your plans. You are a special robot, Brain Bot—the product of two scientists' work, just as some might claim Proto Man is the product of Light's and _my work—_ even though in reality, it is I who deserve all the credit!"

"No you don't," Mega Man broke in. "Proto Man was built entirely by Dr. Light, whether he acknowledges it or not."

He shot Proto Man a dirty look out of the corner of his eye, one he was sure Proto Man returned from under his visor.

"Such cheek! But that won't last much longer," Dr. Wily said in a soft, velvety tone.

Mega Man bowed his head to defeat. "You're right, I'll join you willing," he lied, hoping he could possibly get away with this ruse while he stared down at the grimy floor. "It is illogical for me to keep running away when you keep recapturing me. You truly are the world's best scientist."

But Dr. Wily was not so easily fooled. "It is much too late for such sweet words, my dear Brain Bot. I have a much better idea, something not even your 'advanced android' programming will protect you from…"

He revealed what he had been holding behind his back: a headphone-like device gleamed ominously in the dingy light.

"W-what are you going to do?" Mega Man stammered, affecting a nervous quaver to his voice. "Isn't that a—a mass download interfacer?"

"Exactimundo!" Dr. Wily jammed the interfacer over Mega Man's helmet. "I'll transfer your entire genius computer mind into my mainframe computer. Then I can put that power source of yours to better use," he added in a whisper, his eyes glistening as he tapped his finger against Mega Man's chest, right above his plasma generator—or where Brain Bot's quintessence power core would have been.

From Mega Man's perspective, this was a cruel fate for Brain Bot. Imprisoned without a body in the mainframe of Skull Fortress, his only company the direct attention Dr. Wily, forced to run complex calculations for mad science, such as the logistics of creating an army of killer geraniums or mechanical monkeys. He gave a genuine shutter on Brain Bot's behalf. Then he noticed Top Man watching tensely from the shadow of a computer bank, his eyes flickering from Proto Man, Dark Man, to Snake Man as though trying to decide how best to intervene in front of these much more powerful robots.

But to Mega Man's astonishment, it was Proto Man who spoke up first.

"Upload his electronic brain into our mainframe?" he repeated dubiously. "Uhh…do you really want a super computer that fact checks and back talks all your schemes, Doc? We already got Elec Man for that."

Dr. Wily waved his hand impatiently. "Once his code merges with the computer's databases, he will have no choice but to accept the brilliance of my life's work! _It will become part of him."_

…to Mega Man's disappoint, Proto Man accepted this answer (though he thought he heard Dark Man whisper "Anyone else concerned about a potential Hal 9000 situation?" to Snake Man). Proto Man turned indifferently to the computer console. "I'll throw the switch, Doc."

Mega Man had had enough. "I don't think so, _Proto_ ," he growled, resuming his normal voice.

Proto Man gave a small jerk, his head snapping toward Mega Man as Mega Man tore off the interfacer (by now, the electromagnetic energy had dissipated). With a flash of light, his armor shifted from green to blue, Brain Bot's glasses disappearing from his face.

Dr. Wily staggered backward, eyes bulging. "Mega Man! I-I've been tricked! But how?"

Mega Man held out his hand, a small black device the size of a music box resting on his palm. "My brainy buddy whipped up a couple of mini-morphing devices—one for him and one for me—and I knew if I could pick up Brain Bot's signal, you could too!" He quickly crushed the device than drew a plasma cannon to ward back the Robot Masters, who were edging toward him. "Looks like you've lost, Wily! Brain Bot's almost to California by now!

Guts Man lurched toward him first, and Mega Man fired. Guts Man was knocked into a boxy piece of machinery, which crumpled underneath like a cardboard box, the bay lights flickered as an electric current surged through his body. Snake Man and Cut Man stood their ground, firing _Search Snakes_ and _Rolling Cutters_ in perfectly timed coordination so that Mega Man was forced to dodge around the laboratory, hiding behind half-finished inventions and swinging from the cables on the ceiling. Dr. Wily took shelter behind a computer bank, shouting incoherent orders at the Robot Masters like an enraged parakeet.

"You're in the wrong place at the wrong time, Mega!" Proto Man called cheerfully as he joined the battle, corralling Mega Man from the laboratory tables and the computer equipment with plasma fire. Then he tackled Mega Man to the ground, pulling him into a chokehold. The Robot Masters watched apprehensively, holding back their attacks lest they hit Proto Man.

"Hey, we're we're doing you a favor by taking Brain Bot off your hands," Proto Man whispered reasonably in Mega Man's ear. "If you take him to California, you'll be dropping him off in the Syndicate's backyard."

Mega Man was gripping the arm wrapped around his neck tightly, gasping for air. "'The Syndicate?' Never heard of them."

"Oh c'mon, are you serious? The _Steel Crescent Syndicate_ , the biggest robot/human mob in the U.S.! You've seen Shade Man and Pharaoh Man. Seriously, what do you and the police do with all of your time?"

Mega Man twisted uncomfortably, concentrating on fighting Proto Man's grip. "Too busy fighting Wily. Now that you mention it, Shade Man looked like something _Wily_ would build. Are you trying to tell me there's another criminal roboticist out there building eccentric Robot Masters?"

"Yes, but this guy is seriously bad news."

Mega Man couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Give me a break…"

With a burst of energy, Mega Man succeeded in prying Proto Man's arm away from his neck and quickly pivoted out of reach while blasting Proto Man back at point range across the laboratory.

For a split second, he caught an extremely hurt and annoyed look on Proto Man's face, who was apparently surprised that Mega Man hadn't taken his side on this 'Syndicate' business. Mega Man wasn't sure why, what Proto Man had said sounded _extremely stupid._

Mega Man got quickly to his feet. "I'd like to stay—" He blasted a wide hole in the wall of the laboratory, then winked back at Dr. Wily. "—but I gotta be going!"

Mega Man tore off toward the door, but just as he was half way across the laboratory, Dark Man tossed a ball of electromagnetic energy at him. On contact, it spread into the electrified cording of a net, tangling Mega Man's feet and arms together. He fell backward with a loud clank on the concrete flooring. The more he struggled against it, the stronger the net clung to his armor, the current making all of his circuits feel fuzzy and numb. He had never fought Dark Man beyond their air fight with the skull jet and therefore had underestimated him, and now was paying the price.

Cut Man and Guts Man stalked forward, their eyes boring angrily down on him, Guts Man punching his palm with the sound of a sledge hammer hitting concrete. "I'll twist this blue meddler into scrap iron!"

"Nooo, I have something better in mind for our guest!" Dr. Wily interrupted, straightening up and looking extremely pleased with Mega Man's predicament. His face then tensed furiously, his eyes blazing as he brandished a fist. " _CRUSH HIM!_ "

* * *

After the electromagnetic brackets had worn off, Roll and Brain Bot quickly vacated the hotel and had taken to the skies just as morning broke. Roll took Rush's jet again, while Brain Bot borrowed Mega Man's brand new Flight Suit: an external set of maroon titanium armor with white tapered wings like a jet and ionic wind thrusters on the bottoms of its boots, which were nearly silent and much more environmentally friendly than normal jet rockets.

The Mojave desert rolled beneath them in sepia toned ripples, the rising sun at their backs. Now that Brain Bot had opened up to Mega Man and Roll about his secret, he had become much more friendly, and seemed to even look up to them in a shy but endearing way. To Roll, it was like having a new kid brother who weirdly took strongly after her older twin, and despite their present danger, their conversation was light and pleasant.

"….Is Brain Bot a stupid name?" Brain Bot inquired tentatively as they flew side by side, Sea Gulch fading behind them.

"Uh…" Roll was uncertain if she should be honest.

Brain Bot just nodded, seemingly taking this in stride. "Strictly speaking, a brain is an organ that acts as the nervous system's center in most organic beings. As a robot, I have a computer instead of a brain which can perform all the same functions plus many more, therefore 'Brain Bot' is a misnomer. I have been thinking of reaming myself to something more apt, perhaps a tribute to great scientists of the past like Galileo or Archimedes."

Roll winced a little at these ideas. "If you're going to rename yourself, I'd go with something unique to _you_ , and maybe something shorter?" she suggested gently. "My name is Roll, and Mega Man's original name is Rock."

"And Proto Man's original name was just Proto?" Brain Bot asked keenly.

"I suppose. I never really asked," Roll responded tersely, feeling Brain Bot was being nosey.

Brain Bot continued obliviously, the Flight Suit's wings banking slightly as he flew a little closer. "…How come you never became a bomber-robot like Mega Man and Proto Man?"

"Actually, I _was_ a bomber robot temporarily, a recolored clone of Mega Man to be exact..."

Roll launched into an explanation about the creature who called himself 'Lotos' and the hijinks he had played on New York City using his supernatural alien powers. Brain Bot listened intently with same concerned and perplexed look on his face that he had when Mega Man was rambling on about his bizarre time travel dream.

"—The ability to copy weapons is cool and all, but I prefer the pre-built versatility of my utility arm," Roll finished finally. "Still, if I _did_ become a bomber, I'd choose purple armor, even though that's Wily's color, but it's not like I'd put skulls on it or anything—though that _would_ be pretty badass…" She noticed Brain Bot had been flying silently beside her for some time."What's up?"

"It's just…overwhelming, isn't it?"

"I don't know, the whole wish-making thing was kinda dumb. But don't worry, Mega Man destroyed Lotos with his plasma power."

"But that's the thing, Mega Man _couldn't_ have destroyed something like Lotos with plasma power. What if he comes back? My quintessence might be effective against it, but I'd need help—"

"Whoa, slow down Brain Bot," interrupted Roll, kicking herself for telling Brain Bot about Lotos and accidentally scaring him. "Lotos is gone, but even if that creep did come back, Mega Man and I will find a way to stop him, we always do."

Brain Bot looked over at Roll, his lips slightly parted as though about to say more, when they both tensed. The distant drone of a helicopter could be heard heading straight their way. Roll looked over her shoulder and groaned.

"Uh oh, skullcopter at 6 o'clock!" she warned Brain Bot.

They both stopped short, Roll flying protectively in front of Brain Bot as they prepared for a fight, but as the skullcopter came into range, one of the bug-eyed cockpit windows popped open, and Mega Man leaned out, waving with both arms.

"Back already?" Roll called, amazed. "You were supposed to buy us time!"

"Yes fellow robots, it is I, Mega Man," the figure greeted with a large, alarming smile. Neither of his hands were on the skullcopter's control wheel. "I have returned from buying the time. Why don't you come closer so I can give you a hug?"

Rush growled.

"Something's afoot," Brain Bot muttered. He had noticed that the painted insignia on the helicopter's side read 'Mr. W' and tapped his glasses to run an analysis.

"You're telling me," agreed Roll. "One of Wily's robots must have stolen your holomorpher device to impersonate Mega Man." She glared at the figure with a dangerous smile, planting a hand on her hip. "If you really are Mega Man, what's the secret password we discussed using when I last saw you?"

It appeared the imposter seriously did not expect to be challenged. An annoyed look soured Mega Man's face. "Ummm…'Robots rule, humans drool,'" came the impatient response.

"That wasn't even remotely close! Now which one of Wily's creepy 'bots are ya?

Brain Bot tugged Roll's sleeve urgently. "Roll…that's not a robot at all. I just scanned it—everything is made of the same non-newtonion fluid material, both the imposter and the helicopter—it's a fluidtech amoeba!"

Its identity exposed, the figure of Mega Man melted like a blue candle into the helicopter, the helicopter's rotors slowing to a stop as the entire mass began to shimmer into a silvery color, reshaping into a giant, indistinct form.

"Wow, you really _are_ smart…" it simpered, its distorted, child-like voice at odds with its incredible mass. "But you look no more advanced than every other pathetic robot I've ever seen. You're dealing with something beyond what a robot can handle. I'm called the Grey Devil."

Roll wasted no time going on the offensive, immediately opening fire with circular saws and a blast from her toaster cannon. But though she hit her target with perfect accuracy, they merely shot thorough the amorphous mass like a butterknife through honey. Meanwhile the Grey Devil giggled, drifting closer like molten mercury rippling through the air.

"You've got weapons in that thing, Brain Bot! Now use 'em!" Roll commanded.

Brian Bot nodded. He experienced the new and foreign sensation of his arm sinking into his wrist for the first time as he formed a blaster and fired a red-tailed homing missile at the Grey Devil. The homing missile sank into the silvery mass like a dart hitting silly puddy, but did not explode.

"Pitiful!" the Grey Devil declared. "Always wanted to try one of these. I think I'll reprogram it to target that human flying thing above…"

The homing missile suddenly burst out of the Grey Devil's mass. It rocketed up toward a commercial airliner that was barely discernible as more than a speck in front of a long white streak and was quickly out of sight.

Roll's eyes widened in shock. "Shit! I gotta stop it—just keep flying, Brain Bot! I'll be right back!" she stammered desperately as she and Rush tore after the homing missile.

Before Brain Bot could fly away, silvery tentacles lashed out from the Grey Devil at incredible speed, one striking his face, disorienting him and smashing his glasses while the others coiled around him, pinning his arms to his sides. "She'll never make it time," the Grey Devil cooed. "But don't look so glum, robot. They're just humans…stupid, fleshy, worthless."

Brain Bot trembled with anger as the Grey Devil pulled him closer, his broken glasses frames sliding off his nose and down toward the desert. "I know you weren't built by Wily…but I can guess who sent you. You're going to regret what you've done."

"Aww…silly, arrogant robot! Nothing you can do can hurt _me._ Unlike robots, Devils have no weaknesses…and unfortunately for you, I am also the smartest Devil!"

"I suspect that's not saying much," Brain Bot gasped dryly as a long tentacle coil tightly around his neck—whether the Grey Devil's intent was to power him down or tear his head off was unclear, but it would succeed either way…

But the Grey Devil had been wrong about Roll. There was a brief explosion in the sky like a firework (close but out of range of the jet) then she and Rush reappeared, both panting.

"I can't hurt this monster blob thing, now would be a good time to use your power, Brain Bot!" Roll coached from just outside the Grey Devil's reach.

Brain Bot, on the brink of powering down, closed his eyes his eyes and forced himself to concentrate. A moment later, the Grey Devil's hold on him abruptly slackened. Brain Bot wriggled free then shot straight to Roll like a fish escaping a net.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Grey Devil shrieked in a shrill voice that made them clap their hands over their ears. "WHAT IS THIS? WHAT IS THIS?" Its wriggling mass convulsed strangely, reminding Brain Bot of liquid 'dancing' atop the vibrations of a sound speaker. A glowing red robotic eyeball the size of a large globe appeared in a part in its center. It was rolling around madly, the camera lens aperture it had for a pupil whirring as though trying to focus on to unseen shapes around it.

"Roll, the eye! That's it's weakness!" Brain Bot shouted over the awful noise the Grey Devil was making.

"I figured, it's like its nucleus," replied Roll wryly. She had one more shot left in her toaster cannon, which she made count.

The devastating blast piercing right through the center of the robotic eye. With one final scream, it burst apart like a small bomb, and the silvery mass around it began falling earthward like shimmering graphite powder.

"Cool!" Roll crowed. She tore her eyes away from the smokey cloud that had once been the Grey Devil toward Brain Bot. "Weird it directly targeted humans…I've never seen one of Wily's bots do that. You did great, by the way! Sorry about your glasses."

"I can build new ones, but I'll need something more practical for battle," he replied sadly.

"You shouldn't need to be battle ready much longer," Roll reminded him. "Just keep flying, we're almost to California!"

* * *

After Proto Man copied all of Mega Man's weapons, leaving him defenseless, Mega Man was carried off into a room deep into the bowels of Skull Fortress. It was dark and smelled like rust. Discarded robot drones lay in heaps on one side, all of which were outdated or had been damaged beyond repair, while on the other was filled with metallic rubbish heaped into mounds like silvery wood chips.

In the center was a raised platform, heavily marred with scars and surrounded by a cage like structure. Screws and twisted fillings littered the floor.

Dr. Wily was leaning against the guard railing of an overseer's platform. "This is where I recycle robots I no longer need into little tiny chunks of scrap metal, _like you_ ," he called as Cut Man and Guts Man carried down Mega Man into a cage-like chamber. The design of the structure was to prevent shrapnel from shooting into the room as its contents were broken down— _not_ to recycle functioning robots nor prevent their escape, therefore Cut Man and Guts Man fitted temporary magnetic manacles to the floor, which they snapped over Mega Man's wrists after lying him spread-eagled on his back.

Mega Man pulled at the bindings, but the magnets held strong. "Give it up, Wily! You'll never get your hands on Brain Bot!"

"Ooohh, we will! We will," Dr. Wily sang out. "Mweheheh-ha-ha-ha!"

Proto Man was at the scrap metal compactor's control panel. "So long, Mega dweeb!" he called as he pulled the lever.

Above Mega Man, the rotating blades of a giant metal shedder whirred to life with a loud whine, leftover bits of metal caught in the teeth raining down on him. Then the roof of the chamber slowly began to descend, bringing the deadly blades closer.

Dr. Wily turned his back on the recycler and headed toward the door, beckoning his robots to follow. "Come! We must move quickly to intercept Brain Bot."

"Uh…don't you want to stay and watch your most hated enemy shredded into metal spaghetti?" asked Proto Man.

"If Brain Bot reaches California, we will lose our window of opportunity forever!"

Proto Man shrugged, shaking his head. "I will never understand your priorities in life." With one last look at Mega Man, he turned to follow.

* * *

Ever since their encounter with the Grey Devil, Roll and Brain Bot flew on in tense silence, both wondering how they had been found so quickly, and how soon the next strike would be. Brain Bot was flying on his back some distance above Roll. He appeared to be tinkering with something on his arm.

"Hey, don't mess with the Flight Suit, it belongs to Mega Man," Roll called up to him as she craned her neck, feeling Mega Man might be annoyed if Brain Bot made modifications without his permission.

"I'm not doing anything to the Flight Suit," Brain Bot responded without looking down. She could hear the light scraping noises of shifting circuitry.

"Uh huh," muttered Roll, but she didn't pursue the matter further. The gear was a product of that creep King's funding anyway. _And I am not a babysitter. "_ Just make sure you keep it in the air!" Her eyes drifted back to the rock formations in the distance behind them. _I sure hope Mega's okay…_ she thought worriedly.

* * *

"We've picked up their trail!" Proto Man announced as a flashing dot appeared on the Skullker's radar display.

"Don't lose them!" Dr. Wily growled fiercely from the co-pilots seat, a vein pulsing unpleasantly in his temple as he scowled at the brilliant blue sky in front of him as though there were nothing more infuriating than a sunny day. Snake Man, Dark Man, Cut Man, and Guts Man were crowded in the space behind their seats.

Proto Man smiled at Wily. "We should catch up to them in two minutes!"

* * *

Dr. Wily had been gone for nearly five minutes, and the metal shredder's blades were within arm's reach of Mega Man's face (the recycler was rather old and it grievous need of oil—its pulley system kept getting stuck). Mega Man had been pulling against his bindings, relieved to find them not nearly as strong as they had first appeared. He had plenty of time to escape. _If I can just loosen my arm…_

Just as Mega Man broke his blaster arm free, the machine suddenly ground to a screeching halt. The blades whined down, and the ceiling began to rise again as an orange figure bounded up to his side and began fumbling frantically with his other binding with trembling hands.

"I'll have you out in a sec, just hold on—"

Top Man finally succeeded in popping open the other latch. He then quickly pulled Mega Man outside of the chamber as though afraid to be caught in the horrid place a moment longer than necessary.

"Thanks, though to be honest, I was about to escape on my own," answered Mega Man brightly, looking over Top Man curiously. "…Last time I saw you, I was going to blast you for throwing me into a forcefield, not to mention the stunt you pulled with Roll…"

Top Man took a step back, giving an abashed smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I never meant to lead her on in any way, I promise."

"Relax, she's completely over you," Mega Man responded easily. "She might even forgive you when she hears how you tried to save Brain Bot from Dr. Wily, then me from the recycler." He took a tentative step forward. "…You don't seem to be acting entirely oh Wily's orders…in fact, you're acting like one of the 'good guys'. Why not ditch Wily and join my side? You could become a real hero, and we can end Skull Fortress once and for all, right now—"

But Top Man's eyes had become steely, distant, almost unemotional. "Don't misunderstand. Becoming a hero is not an option for me. This is still my home."

Mega Man knew what Top Man was about to do, and lunged to stop him, but Top Man was way too fast. Nimbly dodging Mega Man with a graceful whirl, Top Man pulled a latch on the wall next to the door. An alarm blared deafeningly throughout the fortress.

_INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT._

With a fleeting look of regret, Top Man retreated down a hall of Skull Fortress and out of sight.

"Never mind," Mega Man sighed.

He too headed out of the recycling room, for he could hear metallic footsteps echoing through the twisting halls of Skull Fortress as though every attack-bot were responding to the alarm. Just as he reached the main floor, certain the main hangar was nearby, he came across a troop of Robot Masters.

"Mega Man?" asked Crash Man, astonished.

"Shit…there really is an intruder," said Bomb Man, equally perplexed. "That's a first."

"I'm going to rip you apart with my BLADES, Mega Man!" shrieked Metal Man, holding his arms outstretched to either side, both arms ending in whirling circular saws as his eyes blazed menacingly.

"Not if I beat you to it, Metal Man," added Quick Man, eyeing Metal Man competitively.

"You'll never see the light of day again," joined in Crystal Man, a round, lustrous sphere materializing in his hand.

"We're just here to watch," called Ring Man lazily as he and Magnet Man picked a safe section of the wall to lean against.

Drill Man, Air Man, Stone Man, Bright Man, Toad Man, Gemini Man, Spark Man, Gyro Man, and Hard Man had all responded to the call, and were all either shrugging and scratching their heads, or frowning at Mega Man and drawing weapons.

Mega Man had only one shot at this, for he was currently unarmed. He made one grand slide, _Power Stones, Drill Bombs, Hard Knuckles, Spark Shocks, Gemini Lasers, Metal Blades, Quick Boomerangs,_ and _Crystal Eyes_ whizzing over his head, and copied Bright Man's weapon. Then, using _Flash Stopper_ to temporarily blind the Robot Masters, Mega Man darted to the hanger to escape in a purple air raider—once again just like his previous trip to Skull Fortress.

"So, uh…how do we shut off the alarm?" Bomb Man asked Crash Man after their vision cleared.

* * *

"There they are…" Dr. Wily snarled as the figures of Roll and Brain Bot became visible beyond the Skullker's front windows, Brain Bot bobbing a little with turbulence, Rush's jet engines burning a bright red like taillights. "I'll destroy the girl and the dog!"

"Her name is Roll," interjected Proto Man.

Dr. Wily ignored him. He had moved to the edge of his seat, bending forward with one eye closed the other fixed on Brain Bot, a small smile on his face like a boy playing a carnival target game. "This calls for precise shooting…we must not damage Brain Bot!"

* * *

Though Brain Bot had not told Roll what he was up to, he had resumed his normal flight formation ahead of her when a rocket exploded right between them, Rush turning a barrel roll to avoid damage, the sonic impact sending Brain Bot into a series of somersaults.

"It's Dr. Wily and his bots!" Roll shouted as more missiles began flying their way like a horde of swooping birds. "Hit the turbo-chargers, Rush!"

She planted her feed sideways on Rush's jet as though riding a surfboard, her pony tail now flapping over her left shoulder as she glared back at the Skullker. Then she began firing circular saws at the incoming missiles, slicing the neatly in half to explode at a great distance from their intended targets.

* * *

Dr. Wily watched with anger as Roll easily countered the Skullker's barrage of missiles. He could see Brain Bot gaining distance, his minute form dwindling. "Get the Brain Bot! Use the electromagnetic net!" he screamed, throwing a hand into the air for emphasis.

Proto Man put the Skullker into full throttle. Blasting past Roll, they quickly gained on Brain Bot. The Skullker's armored jaw dropped, but instead of firing its laser, one of Dark Man's nets sprang out like black silly string. Brain Bot was caught up in a confused jumble. He struggled desperately against the net, attempting to use the Flight Suit's thrusters to pull himself free, but soon the electromagnetic energy overcame him, and he began to fall like a sandbag…

But Roll was quickly at his side. She had drawn a short hooked knife from her utility arm, which she used to slash a hole through the net. Grabbing Brain Bot's shoulder, she dragged him out of the electromagnetic field and away from the Skullker again.

Fury clouded Dr. Wily's face like a building thunderstorm, his eyes flashing menacingly. "He got away, did he? _Weellll…not for long!_ "

He switched the Skullker's main cannon back to its default laser mode and recklessly opened fire, white lasers flashing between the figures of Roll and Brain Bot ahead.

One clipped Brain Bot across one of his wing tips, causing him to cartwheel sideways. Another struck Rush across his left side. Rush gave a piercing howl, and began to bank steeply left, Roll grabbing onto the back of his jetboard to steady herself.

At this third wave of attack, Brain Bot was getting annoyed. With a concerned glance at Rush, Brain Bot kicking out his legs, using the ionic wind thrusters to steady himself, he pivoted sharply to face the Skullker, which was zooming toward him like a cannon ball, Dr. Wily just visible behind, his head tossed back in laughter as he closed in on his prize.

Though Rush had regained control, he had been knocked nearly a football field's length away from Brain Bot. "Brain Bot, get out of there!" Roll shouted as the Skullker stopped short in front of him.

Brain Bot gave no response, his eyes locked on the Skullker. In one swift movement his arm folded into a cannon as he fired point blank at the Skullker. But instead of another homing missile, it emitted a blast of ultraviolet energy, reminding Roll exactly of the same sort of power she had had when her wish had turned her into a bomber robot.

For a moment, the Skullker was completely enveloped in the blast. The energy dissipated, and the Skullker hung motionless, its giant rotor whining to a stop as the charred passengers blinked stupidly at Brain Bot. Then it began to break apart like a poorly assembled toy, first the Skullker's lower jaw, then its giant rockets, the laser canon, until finally the carriage sprang apart, dumping its shocked occupants into an old wooden barn below. They had been low to the ground, and the fall was cushioned by a pile of fresh hay. Still, Dr. Wily looked as though the wind had been knocked out of him as he spat out shafts of hay.

Roll and Rush hovered back toward Brain Bot's side. She was looking down at the barn in awe. "Whoa! You just took out the Skullker!" Then she pointed to Brain Bot's arm. "..What was that?"

"Nothing!" Brain Bot said quickly as his blaster reformed back into a hand.

Roll smiled shrewdly at him. "Did you modify yourself to be a bomber robot like Mega Man?"

Brain Bot hesitated, trapped. "Maybe?"

"Badass," Roll said approvingly. "Hope Dr. Cossack is cool with that. Good job, Brain Bot…but we're not home yet," she added, for several figures were stumbling out of the barn below.

* * *

Dr. Wily was gnashing his teeth so hard, it sounded as though he might crack a tooth as he stomped out into the dirt driveway leading out of the farmyard. "Blast them out of the sky!" he screamed, pointing up at Brain Bot and Roll.

* * *

"Seriously, will Wily not give up?" Roll muttered as she grabbed Brain Bot by the arm and hauled him to a safer distance as _Rolling Cutters, Search Snakes,_ and balls of electromagnetic energy hurtled up at them like a reverse meteor shower.

Meanwhile, a purple air raider branded with a proper 'Dr. W' had appeared above the rocky plateaus on the horizon and was streaking straight toward them, Mega Man sitting in its pilot seat. "Hey Roll, sorry I'm late, 'I just got out of the Captain Fallout and the Atom Smashers concert'!" he called cheerfully. "Inside joke," he added to Brain Bot.

"Mega! 'Bout time you showed up, I was starting to worry about ya!" Roll shouted back, waving. "Did those losers _really_ lead you straight to Skull Fortress?"

Mega Man grinned. "I'll tell you all about it, but first let's drive these _losers_ back where they came from!"

* * *

As Roll and Rush turned spectacular aerobatics to draw Snake Man and Dark Man's fire, Mega Man was dropping bombs from the air raider to scatter the Robot Masters. Cut Man and Guts Man ran around in circles around the farmyard screaming while Dr. Wily pulled at his hair in frustration.

Brain Bot hovered from the sidelines, formulating a plan to help as his systems recharged, when suddenly something hit him hard from the side. He plummeted downward, hitting the ground at an angle and skidding sever hundred hards across a sandy plain dotted with desert wildflowers. He whirled quickly to his feet to face his attacker, blaster drawn.

Proto Man had salvaged a jetpack from the wreckage of the Skullker, which he had used to sneak up on Brain Bot. He had landed nearby, and was stalking slowly closer. "Neat light show up there…but party's over. You can't jump me like last time, and even if you try, I'll just steal your superpower and use it right back at ya."

Brain Bot took a step back. Proto Man's lack of fear was extremely intimidating. "I wouldn't recommend it. Your construction is not advanced enough to handle my power source." With a glance back up at the sky (unfortunately, neither Mega Man nor Roll had noticed his absence yet) Brain Bot leveled his plasma cannon at Proto Man's chest. "If I shoot you, you will not come back."

"Whoa whoa whoa…tough words for a good guy. You wouldn't _really_ wipe me out like that, wouldya, Brainy?"

"I'd rather refrain, but only because you were built by Dr. Light, Proto."

Proto Man bristled as though Brain Bot had landed a grave insult. "You were listening to what that floating orb said. Listen, that guy—Centum—has _no_ idea what he's talking about. And he's a really awful guy, way worse than Wily. I mean, sure, Wily was planning to integrate your A.I. with Skull Fortress's mainframe and dissect your body to harvest your power source—which might be a fate worse than death—but still, better than being kidnapped by gangsters, right?"

Proto Man was still advancing across the plain, a gentle breeze tugging at his scarf and rocking the wildflower's petals.

Brain Bot had expected Proto Man to back off—he had no other tricks up his sleeve, and Proto Man was still the better fighter. Brain Bot's blaster arm began to tremble as he faced the prospect of shooting Mega Man and Roll's older brother. "Stay away, or I'll have no choice! It's imperative that I reach Citadel!"

Brain Bot hadn't met to let that last part slip, for like himself, his destination was meant to be secret. Yet it seemed to have a profound effect on Proto Man, who stopped still as though turned to his stone. "Citadel? You mean where Dr. Cossack works?" he asked, his smile fading as he began to piece things together. "Of course, Dr. C said he was looking for a new lab assistant…" He looked Brain Bot over, sizing him up as though seeing a rival for the first time. "…And he chose _you?"_

Brain Bot just stared at Proto Man, confused. Proto Man seemed to be talking to himself, which was a bit unnerving.

"I've met Dr. Cossack," Proto Man continued brightly, oblivious to Brain Bot's unease. "He's a real cool guy, actually. You should have said something earlier, would have saved you a bunch of hassle—and you won't even have to worry about the Syndicate in L.A., its some kinda 'no robot mob zone' enforced by the police or something."

Brain Bot was still scrutinizing Proto Man as though trying to find the joke. "…You're letting me go? After all that?" he finally asked, deadpan.

Proto Man shrugged indifferently. "Sure, I won't try to stop you."

"Good. Because I'm going."

A loud buzzing noise filled the air. Brain Bot and Proto Man looked up. At least a hundred California State Police helicopters were descending upon them like a swarm of bees.

Proto Man heaved a sigh. "Speaking of the police, here they come, late as usual. I better make sure Doc gets out okay." He saluted Brain Bot sarcastically. "Later…Green Bomber."

Brain Bot rolled his eyes as Proto Man jetted away. "Moron…"

* * *

With the entire California State Police chasing Dr. Wily's robots to the border, Mega Man and Roll finally felt their troubles were behind them.

"Looks like they really went to pieces!" Mega Man remarked from the seat of his second stolen air raider, Roll and Brain Bot flying by his side. "Now let's hightail it to the research center!"

"California here we come!" whooped Roll.

Small buildings had begun appearing amongst the sandy dunes below them, minuscule cars inching across the roads. The sun glinted off the wings of a lone hoverjet gliding leisurely above a suburb to their right.

Roll gave the jet a look as though wishing its wings would fall off. "It's King's jet…look, you can see his stupid 'K' emblem on the tail wing. Careful, Mega…he might mistake you for a Bad-bot if he see what you're flying."

Brain Bot frowned at King's jet. "Hey guys…do you mind if go talk to him? I have a matter to settle before I reach Citadel."

Mega Man felt uneasy about this (they were so close to their destination!), but before he or Roll could say it wasn't a good idea, Brain Bot hurriedly sped off with a burst of speed from the ionic wind thrusters.

"I'll be right back!" he called over his shoulder.

* * *

Within seconds, Brain Bot had boarded King's jet through its airlock.

The inside of the jet was immodestly decorated in bright gold. Senator King was the only passenger on board, and he sat regally on one of the luxurious leather seats as though it were a throne, his robotic bodyguards crouched on either side of him.

"I know it was you!" Brain Bot burst out angrily, blaster drawn at pointed at King. "You tracked me to Las Vegas using a signal from the Land Blazer, likewise you sicced that _fluidtech amoeba_ on me by extrapolating my coordinates with a signal from the Flight Suit!"

King raised a brow, a small smile playing across his face as he gazed up at Brain Bot's blaster from under the brim of his hat as if being shown an interesting trinket. "You dare threaten a U.S. Senator?" he asked in amusement. Beside him, his silent robotic body guards had hunched down as though ready to spring at the slightest movement. It was clear they would have no issue snapping the Flight Suit in half and chucking Brain Bot right back outside the jet.

Brain Bot was not deterred. "You're no senator, I could expose you for what you truly are—"

"You haven't thought this through," King interrupted, holding up a hand. "Think of how much trouble that would land Cossack in, he would pay far worse than I ever will. Besides, what motivation do I have to harm you? We are not enemies. It is true I tracked Mega Man's Flight Suit to bring the California State Police to your aid, as was the best course of action at my disposal. I couldn't let Wily get to you. But word travels fast, and the Grey Devil's attack was never part of the plan, it is a dangerous minion of a dangerous criminal boss. You did right by destroying it. I shall cover up things on my end, for I know it shall cause _delicate questions_ …but in the future you must be on your guard, for you may have made enemies today."

Brain Bot hesitated at this speech, then, feeling he had insubstantial evidence to pin on King, dropped his blaster arm. "Stop tracking the Lights."

"I shall," King nodded firmly. "As you heard, Cossack put an end to that."

" _Dr._ Cossack. And I think you're a bully," Brain Bot added, not afraid to show his distaste in King's behavior despite the fact King's bodyguards looked as tough as small war mechs.

"You're the fourth to say that to me today. It's my nature as a politician, I'm afraid," King replied lazily. "It's what makes me so good at what I do." He leaned his head against an arm. "You're a lot like _Dr._ Cossack. He will be _soooo_ proud. I suppose I won't see you much after today?"

"Not unless you come to Citadel," Brain Bot replied, his eyes narrowed. He then turned to leave, for he knew Mega Man and Roll would be getting anxious.

* * *

Finally, a day later than scheduled, Mega Man, Roll, and Brain Bot arrived at the stairs of Citadel Headquarters in Los Angeles.

Everything about the tall elegant skyscraper was pristine, spacious, and very modern. Mega Man and Roll felt nervous as they stepped inside, for Brain Bot was a little more battered than planned thanks to Dr. Wily's constant interference. Brain Bot too looked nervous as he gazed around the well-lit lobby, which had walls and furnishings as white as a dazzling arctic landscape, the staff a mixture of humans in long white lab coats and shiny drones.

A sleek robo-attendant guided them to a conference room on the second floor, the glass walls decorated in colorful sticky notes arranged in razor-straight rows. At the end of a long table sat Dr. Cossack, his head bowed and his hands steepled, his face looking extremely grim. But as they entered the room, he stood, his eyes lighting up as they fell upon Brain Bot. He climbed to his feet so fast that his chair rolled back several feet and hit a glass wall with a rattle, meanwhile he had crossed the room in several long strides.

He stopped short before them, taking in the looks on their faces. "Hello there," he said in a soft, self-conscious, Russian-accented voice.

At the sound of his creator's equally nervous voice, Brain Bot broke into a smile, and he bounded up eagerly to Dr. Cossack's side. "Hello Dr. Cossack!" he greeted back. "Please excuse my unpunctuality and breech in dress code, I'm afraid my lab coat was destroyed in transit."

"That is okay, I can have a new one tailored for you." Dr. Cossack looked past Brain Bot at Roll and Mega Man. "Thank you for bringing Brain Bot safely."

"All in a day's work, sir," Mega Man said shyly, once again wishing they had arrived on time and that Brain Bot's armor was not as scuffed as a green apple that had been dropped down a flight of stairs.

"I may be formal, but you don't have to address me as 'sir'," Dr. Cossack responded with a sad, regretful smile. "I keep up with things, so I know how much trouble Wily can be, how many robots he has successfully stolen, and how much pain he has caused your family. It means a lot that you went to the trouble to protect Brain Bot at all. I can see why your father is so proud of you both."

Mega Man couldn't help but swell with happiness at this praise. He hoped the smile creeping across his face didn't look stupid or smug.

"Hey, are you related to Kali Cossack?" Roll blurted out, breaking the moment. She had been bursting to ask this ever since she had found out they were going to meet Dr. Cossack in person. Though it was much too late, Mega Man nudged her with his elbow.

"Uh, yes, Kalinka is my daughter," Dr. Cossack said in a guarded voice, his eyes scanning Roll through his half-rim glasses.

"Knew it!" Roll mouthed to Mega Man.

Mega Man ignored Roll, returning to the more pressing subject. "You should know, Dr. Wily tried very hard to get to Brain Bot. Will he be safe here?"

"I think so. Though it may look like it, Citadel Laboratories is built like a fortress. In fact, I'm _offended_ he's never tried breaking in."

"Don't ask for anything you may regret."

"Wise advice, you are much like your creator," Dr. Cossack responded approvingly. Again, Mega Man felt a soaring burst of happiness. "…I first met Dr. Light at his science fair in San Fransisco. You may have even seen me there, though you probably weren't very interested in Citadel's booth on the future of metal alloys."

"Actually, that sounds very interesting Dr. Cossack," Mega Man replied with a pointed look at Roll, who looked like she might reply 'probably not.' "I've read a lot of your work. Chemistry is my favorite subject."

"Is it?" asked Dr. Cossack in a curious but withdrawn voice. He seemed to be holding them at a distance much the same way Brain Bot had done when they had first met, as though he _wanted_ to interact, but was holding back due to secrets of his own. Dr. Cossack appeared to be searching for a different subject, his eyes roving between Brain Bot and Mega Man. He blinked and did a double take—for without his lab coat and glasses, the similarities Brain Bot shared with Mega Man were uncanny.

"It was not my intent, but you two look a lot alike," he said apologetically to them, scratching his head. "I shall have go ask Tom about that." Then he frowned, reaching out for Brain Bot's left arm. "You modified yourself to have a blaster…" he muttered in a low voice.

Mega Man and Roll looked at each other in chagrin, sensing Dr. Cossack's obvious dismay.

Brain Bot hesitated. "I converted myself into a _bomber-robot,_ like Mega Man," he confessed.

"But you weren't meant for fighting...you don't want to be a lab assistant?"

"Yes I do want to be a lab assistant, more than anything, but I can still be a defender when I or someone I care about is in danger," Brain Bot returned, his eyes haughty and determined. Then he faltered. "You're not…disappointed in me are you?"

Dr. Cossack gave a faint smile, wrapping an arm around Brain Bot's shoulder with a light squeeze. "Of course not, your reasons are just…but I am surprised, and what you have done is not strictly lawful. We must discuss this later," he said ruefully. He glanced at Mega Man and Roll. "I'm sorry our time must be short—I am very busy and must return immediately to my work. Thank you again; if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to call."

He steered Brain Bot out of the conference room toward a long white hallway. Brain Bot took a brief moment to wave goodbye through the glass wall before the metal doors of the hallway slid silently shut behind them.

"Wow, we just met Kali Cossack's dad!" said Roll excitedly as the sleek robo-attendant lead them back through Citadel Headquarters. "How cool is _that?_ "

"You mean how cool is it that we just met one world's leading scientists," Mega Man corrected.

"Yeah, though only dorks like you care about that kind of stuff more than meeting a celebrity," Roll sighed. "We've got to come back and see if we can hang with her!"

"I don't know, Dr. Cossack seemed too busy to have visitors," responded Mega Man bracingly, though he couldn't help but wistfully hope to meet Dr. Cossack again himself.

* * *

To Centum, the last twenty-four hours had been a tumultuous rollercoaster, which was about to end on an extremely unpleasant note when Six demanded Centum's time for a private teleconference.

"My Grey Devil was destroyed today, as you may already know, for it happened in your territory by the hands of Light's android and aided and abetted by a green Mega Man look-a-like!" came Six's vengeful voice, as though the murder of something innocent and sweet had occurred. "But what was the Grey Devil doing in your territory when it only obeys my commands?"

"I would like to know the same thing," Centum replied coldly.

"…What are you accusing me of?" Six demanded, her voice dripping with acid.

"The same thing you are are accusing _me_ of," Centum said in a calm voice. A brief but nasty silence ensued, the implications of treachery amount the Syndicate bosses hanging over them like a storm of knives. "I suggest you drop it. It appears your Grey Devil acted of its own accord. I have warned you to pay closer attention to the Devil series' programming, they are too unpredictable. I will overlook this incident just this once, but take heed."

Six gave an aggravated hiss, then the teleconference ended abruptly.

Though Centum felt he had been in the right, things had been tense between the three Syndicate bosses since the ballet incident, and Six wouldn't take the fall of her most powerful lieutenant lightly…but worst of all, it had drawn unnecessary attention to Brain Bot, who he had hoped to keep to himself.

First Ballade, now the Grey Devil. What was going on?

**_Next time on Mega Man Recut…_ **

Dr. Wily wreaks havoc with his most destructive invention yet, causing unparalleled global damage. With the world in a state of emergency, international cooperation becomes the key in countering Dr. Wily's mad science—but will it be enough to save the Earth from total destruction? …tune in next time for _The Day the Moon Fell!_


	29. The Day the Moon Fell, Part 1

**Episode 23: The Day the Moon Fell**

Of all the crooks the Robot International Police had yet to catch, two held the record for remained at the top of their wanted list the longest.

Shadow Man had dusky twilight blue armor, which made him appear to fade into even the smallest patch of shade. A four-sided ninja star adorned his helmet. His movements were quick and soundless as a phantom, yet when he talked, his voice was a deep boisterous baritone, and it was difficult to get him to shut up.

The Sniper had a crackly voice that sounded like a human talking through a walky-talky. A single red optic roved across the chevron-shaped visor of his biker-style helmet. His forest green armor was criss crossed with plasma scorches and a heavy blaster was crudely welded to the end of his left arm, the overall effect intimidating.

Both robots had an international reputation of being master criminals, each had carefully guarded his name and identity from the authorities, and each had a mysterious past. Having so much in common, they had been naturally drawn to each other throughout the years.

They were gathered at a small tropical island off the cost of Mexico, one of Shadow Man's favorite hideouts. Though beautiful, the island was surrounded by ring of buoys with danger signs, for the island was the protected habitat for a rare species of noxious purple flowers, making it impossible to approach by humans who didn't want to die a horrible, painful death.

"The Robot International Police is on my back," the Sniper told Shadow Man, his fist curling in agitation. "They've made it impossible for me to get any work. They almost cornered me in La Paz, luckily I had a tip off and got out in the nick of time, but R.I.P. keeps getting closer. I never feel safe."

"Might be nice to lie low in America for awhile," Shadow Man suggested. "That's where I'm going next. I've robbed so much of the world that I'm running out of things to steal." He flopped backward onto the warm sand and sighed contentedly. "You should come with me. Without R.I.P., America is a playground for criminal robots like us."

The Sniper shook his head. "I never wanted to return state side. That's where my creators are. One was a psychopath who kept plotting out loud to himself behind the other's back, the other was completely clueless that this was always going on, can't tell you which one was worse…"

"It takes a mature robot to realize they are better off rogue," Shadow Man nodded sagely. He had a hand stretched in front of him, a _Shadow Blade_ balanced delicately on his finger. "I always recommended it. Rogue robots have more fun! Though those humans would both be very proud if they knew you became the world's most wanted robot mercenary."

"You know I'm a fraud," the Sniper responded moodily, sitting down on the sand next to Shadow Man with his hands on his knees. "It's easy when you pick stupid clients, take bribes from their would-be-targets, then get paid twice for same job by faking an assassination. But my reputation has backfired on me, and now I have a major problem. Have you heard of the Syndicate?"

"The Syndicate?" Shadow Man snorted, eyes dancing. He flicked the _Shadow Blade_ behind him, which landed squarely in the middle of a target (a rather rude caricature of Enker painted on a boulder). "What criminal hasn't! What, do they want to recruit you?"

"Worse." The Sniper tossed a seashell into the ocean. "They want to hire me for some hits."

Shadow Man sat up. "What? Impossible!"

The Sniper just shrugged. "They had a list. Anthony Fisher, Irene Wolfe, Fred Sable, Betty Martin, Mitchell Deacon—"

"What kind of names are these?" laughed Shadow Man.

"They're all politicians," replied the Sniper, not finding anything funny about this at all. "I don't think the Syndicate will let me reside in America peacefully unless I do it. For some reason they wanted someone like me specifically, and I don't think I can trick them. Not with such high profile targets. Between them and R.I.P., I'm running out of places to lie low."

The Sniper looked quite miserable, his head bowed. Shadow Man, meanwhile, was intrigued.

"Why not do the hits themselves?" Shadow Man puzzled aloud. In one fluid motion he leaped to his feet and began to pace, walking across the surface of a tide pool as though it were made of glass. "They have their own robots, and the resources for coverups! I know what's-his-face is behind the Syndicate, but this doesn't sound like him…Who gave you this list?" he demanded finally, coming to a halt in front of the Sniper.

The Sniper's red optic flickered up toward Shadow Man. "Some guy named 'Mr. Flint'. He contacted me a year ago during Dr. Wily's siege of the Lunar Base. Said he was acting on behalf of some big shot in Washington who wants me to take care of political nuisances."

A small smirk crept upon Shadow Man's face. _"Ahhh-haaa."_

"What?"

"It's all coming together. Are you still in touch with this so-called 'Mr. Flint'?"

"Yes, but what are you getting at?"

"You are not the only one with contacts within the Syndicate!" Shadow Man dashed over to the boulder to retrieve his _Shadow Blade,_ briefly booping the caricature on the nose. "Leave it to me, we are to get our fattest payout yet!"

* * *

Though Brain Bot's trip had not gone at all according to plan, Dr. Wily had unwittingly given Mega Man and Roll a distinct key advantage against himself: Mega Man now knew the location of Skull Fortress.

Roll (of course) wanted to storm the place as soon as possible. Dr. Light, worried about their safety, thought it more sensible to keep their distance. Mega Man was torn. The thought of confronting Dr. Wily and Proto Man on their home base, waking _them_ up in the middle of the night for once before dragging them back to face justice was tempting, but his feelings toward Proto Man complicated the matter. The timing didn't feel right yet.

Regardless, it had still been their duty to inform _someone_ that they knew the whereabouts of Skull Fortress.

They had first brought it up with President Lemming, who did not want to make a decision on the matter, worrying any type of counterattack would be too expensive. Senator King had been avoiding them (though Roll and Mega Man did not miss his company), and Senator Wolfe had advised them to use caution, but was too busy with her other responsibilities to be further involved. Everyone was becoming interested in the upcoming 1996 elections, and apparently Dr. Wily's attacks, no matter how annoying and frequent they became, were not an issue voters cared about (mad science made for entertaining news, but otherwise no one was very scared of Dr. Wily nor took him very seriously, especially as Dr. Light's Robo Rescue Squad always cleared up the aftermath in a timely manner).

Finally, finding themselves alone on the matter, Mega Man and Roll decided to run reconnaissance missions against Skull Fortress on their own.

At first, even with the exact coordinates, it was difficult to locate Skull Fortress. It was protected by a tricky combination of scramblers which could subtly befuddle scanners, routing them to the deserted landscape around it. Finally, certain they had the right canyon, Skull Fortress was still hidden from the naked eye, a clever holo-grid shifting its appearance to look hopelessly unmemorable from any other section of the badlands.

It didn't help that they were almost immediately detected. Skull tanks, skull jets, and skull copters quickly overwhelmed them, and they knew this would be nothing compared to the army of Robot Masters waiting for them inside.

Even Roll had to admit that it was futile. Annoyed, battered, and defeated, they returned to Dr. Light's laboratory, deciding that they'd either have to come up with a better plan of attack, or wait for Dr. Wily to make himself vulnerable by leaving his fortress.

They laid on a hill outside, basking in the warm sunshine of a beautiful May afternoon as they contemplated the day when Dr. Wily's reign of terror ended.

"I bet he'll whine like a baby when we finally get 'em," said Roll, a stalk of grass clenched between her teeth and her arms folded behind her back as they gazed up into the sky. "It's a pity most of his inventions were destroyed or neutralized though. What I'd really like to do is give him a taste of his own medicine, shoot _him_ with the shrink ray, give _him_ nightmares with the dream transmitter, switch _his_ brain with something creepy using the transport chambers—"

"The transport chambers only worked on robots," Mega Man laughed ruefully. He was wearing a soft cotton t-shirt, his hands folded over his chest. "Of course, there's still Proto Man. Maybe he'll come live at Dr. Light's lab again when this is all over."

" _Him?_ Live _here?_ " Roll laughed derisively.

"Well, it's his home too…"

"You sound like Dad."

"You still hate him?"

"Of course. He abandoned us to work for Wily, duh. I know you think there's hope for him, Mega, but I'm tellin' ya it's a lost cause. He's _never_ opened up to us, we don't even know what he looks like under his helmet!"

Mega Man went silent, watching a cloud that looked vaguely like a jet plane.

It was a little surreal to think about his brother, who had last left Mega Man to be chopped into small metal bits. Part of Mega Man liked to believe Proto Man wouldn't have actually abandoned him to such a gruesome end if he hadn't known how easy it would be to escape, yet it was always hard to tell with Proto Man. Still, Mega Man was trying to figure out a way to get back at Proto Man, either by making him feel remorseful for his actions, or (if that proved impossible) at least humiliate him justly as Mega Man had been time and time again.

But at the moment, things were quiet. A week after arriving at Los Angeles, Brain Bot had sent them an excited letter telling them how much he loved Citadel, how interesting (but secretive) his work was, and that he hoped to find time to visit them next year. Both Mega Man and Roll felt disappointed in this letter, hoping to visit Brain Bot themselves, yet no such invitation ever arrived.

* * *

After losing all hope of capturing Brain Bot, Dr. Wily spent long hours brooding in his laboratory and was short with everyone, even Proto Man. He was taking the loss unusually hard, as though he had just forfeited the biggest opportunity of his mad scientist career and was at the end of his rope without any sort of inspiration for his next plan.

Elec Man, despite his usual apathy toward Dr. Wily's failures, had been interested to know what had become of Brain Bot.

"After all of that, you just..let him go?" he asked after Proto Man recounted the pursuit to California within Elec Man's office. Elec Man was leaning back against the front edge of his desk while Proto Man stood in front of him. The striped badlands in the window wall behind them were a bright fiery orange in the desert sun.

"I didn't care what happened to that pipsqueak, I just didn't want that bastard Centum to get him! —No offense," responded Proto Man. "But after I found out Brain Bot was going to live with Dr. Cossack in L.A. where no Syndicate mob activity will bother him, there seemed no point in chasing him anymore. Even Wily gave up when Brain Bot reached Citadel—"

"That man…why do you keep bringing him up?" Elec Man interrupted.

"Who, Cossack?" asked Proto Man, who hadn't realized he had a habit of casually mentioning his former hostage. "I dunno, he was funny and cool. But Wily doesn't like me talking about him, so don't mention this. You know how jealous he gets about other scientists. Just as well; a rich dude like Dr. C is a prime target for Wily. Would hate if he got kidnapped. Again."

Elec Man was frowning. "If he's so great, why don't you go work for him instead?"

"Yeah, unfortunately he's just a chemist and not a roboticist, and like I could really give up crime," laughed Proto Man.

Elec Man gave Proto Man a perturbed look. "…I was joking."

"Right, I know," Proto Man said quickly, feeling wrong-footed.

There came a light knock at the door. Elec Man closed his eyes and gave an aggrieved sigh as it slid open and Top Man meandered timidly inside.

Top Man stopped short upon catching sight of Proto Man. "Oh, uh, hey Proto Man," he greeted with a nervous cough. "Am I, uh, interrupting anything?"

"Not really," answered Proto Man, shrugging.

"Alright if I come in?"

"You're already in," Elec Man responded impatiently. "What do you want?"

Top Man gave them a cordial smile. "You guys are always spending time in Dr. Wily's laboratory or in the western wing. I was just wondering if you've changed your mind about hanging out in the armory with the other Robot Masters?"

"I don't hang out," Elec Man said coldly, wrinkling his nose.

"Uh, yeah, thanks for the offer, but I don't hang out either," answered Proto Man with a little more tact.

"…Don't you two hang out together?" Top Man asked, raising a brow skeptically.

"No," Elec Man and Proto Man both answered at the same time.

Top Man glared from one to the other as though they were hiding something.

"Fine," he said finally in annoyed defeat. "Well, if you ever change your mind about hanging out in the armory…" he trailed off wistfully as he ducked back through he door, which slid closed behind him.

Elec Man rolled his eyes. "Prying little—" But whatever Elec Man was about to call Top Man, he never said out loud, either unable to think of a worthy insult or deciding to retract it at last moment. Instead, he pounded a fist against his desk, rattling a collection of computer monitors. "He'll drive me as crazy as Wily."

"So, uh…are you two getting along now?" Proto Man asked tentatively.

Elec Man gave a very noncommittal shrug, turning his back to Proto Man and pretending to be interested in straightening the computer equipment on his desk.

It had appeared Elec Man and Top Man had come to a truce about their diverging feelings on their creator, the crime boss Centum, but were still frustrated on how inherently different they were.

Elec Man (for his part) was a bit defensive about his change in attitude toward Top Man, a clashing mixture equal parts ashamed of his previous behavior and equal parts still utterly humiliated to be connected to Top Man at all. He was attempting to reconcile these mixed emotions by teaching Top Man to be a better criminal. When Top Man stubbornly resisted, he then switched to spontaneous lessons to _at least_ become a better fighter, randomly ambushing Top Man whenever he was on Elec Man's nerves. Top Man, however, was too adept at _dodging_ to be bullied into fighting back, much to Elec Man's annoyance.

In contrast, Top Man wanted to hang out more, especially as part of a large group. Elec Man ruthlessly rejected these appeals, stating flatly most of the Robot Masters in Skull Fortress were morons. When Top Man couldn't get to Elec Man (which was often, as Elec Man had taken to locking his door) he would find and pester Proto Man if he could catch him in the western hangar.

"That's just the way little brothers are," said Proto Man knowingly. "You'll get used to it. And just remember, there's nothing more important than family."

Elec Man gave him a flat look. "Didn't you abandon Mega Man to be crushed in a scrap metal compactor recently?"

"…What's your point? By the way, any idea if Wily's up to anything yet?"

"No, I avoid him as much as possible."

Proto Man shook his head. "It's been too quite…it's like Doc's fallen in a rut. I know all the defeats have been getting to him, but…" He shrugged. "I'll go check on him again. He's gotta have _something_ for us to do soon."

* * *

The night was dark with fog, a waxing moon shining sickly green through the gloom like a half lidded eye.

A lonely pier stretched out against the icy waves of the Pacific coast, its planks splintered and raggedy, barnacles creeping up its pillars like wooly stockings. On the polluted beach directly below it, Burner Man was chained to a long metal post, his back to the ocean. Thin wisps of smoke issued from the burner nozzle on top of his helmet, making him look like a giant snuffed candle. His armor was nicked and scratched, and he was trembling all over, his gas tanks clinking like shaking china.

Burner Man (not being the most original of criminal robots) had chosen an archetypical mobster's rendezvous location, so it was fitting when things turned on him he'd face an archetypical mobster's fate. The most that could be said for him in his present situation was that he had not been captured quietly. Yamato Man, Pharaoh Man, Blade Man, and Fake Man were all covered in sooty streaks, though they stood triumphantly up on the steep beach away from the grimy ocean waves.

Cornered at last, Burner Man broke down and confessed to attempting to contract the Sniper as a mercenary while guised as 'Mr. Flint,' and to being the last robot to see Ballade, witnessing Ballade murder a crook without cause during a routine shake down for Syndicate crime boss Gamma.

"I t-told Ballade that he was getting too c-carried away, and I h-h-haven't seen him since, I s-swear!" Burner Man stammered wretchedly, squirming in his chains, a wall of water crashing over him.

A silvery orb hovered next to Yamato Man's elbow. "That criminal was a scoundrel…but he didn't deserve to die," came Centum's cold, crisp voice. "Do you understand how serious concealing this information from me is?"

Burner Man cringed as another wave broke over him, a strand of kelp catching on his red and white armor. "W-we were on G-Gamma's orders…" he gasped feebly. "And I didn't know I was d-d-doing anything wrong on the Sniper thing—p-please don't k-kill me."

The silvery orb was silent for awhile, if only for effect. "I won't kill you. But you will be reprogrammed." The silvery orb rotated to face the other Robot Masters on the beach. "Power him down and bring him to my lab."

As the tide receded, Blade Man and Pharaoh Man rushed down the slope of wet pebbles and dirty plastic bottles, Blade Man slashing Burner Man loose with a stroke from his cutlass-like arm. Burner Man didn't even attempt to fight them off, he wore the dazed expression of someone expecting execution and instead getting a job transfer.

Fake Man turned on heel toward the silvery orb and saluted. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to track him down myself as planned, but at least we got him in the end. It would be bad if I were seen here. In half an hour, regular robo-officers begin their patrols again." His black eyes roved the beach critically, taking in the sandy litter. "Perhaps I can assign some rookies to clean this area. It truly is sad to see the trash that accumulates in the ocean, not including our 'guest'." Then he departed swiftly up the slope, his figure disappearing in the fog like a curtain dropping.

"It will anger Gamma if he finds out you've reprogrammed one of his robots," murmured Yamato Man, watching Pharaoh Man carry Burner Man's deactivated body out of the surf.

"He shall never find out," responded Centum indifferently. "I've had a hand in most of his robots, so it's suitable they come back to me when they misbehave—besides, I've never cared for the orders he issues them. But the other Syndicate bosses are the least of my concerns…" he trailed off, his voice sounding disappointed.

Before leaving with Blade Man, Pharaoh Man glanced over at Yamato Man, giving him a small, supportive nod. Yamato Man returned it, took a deep breath, and faced Shadow Man.

Shadow Man was balanced with the stillness of a statue and the grace of a perched bird on the tip of an eroded pipe protruding out of the sand, watching the scene with one eye closed lazily. He would have been difficult to spot (his armor blending perfectly with the night) had it not been for the small gleam in his eye like a dancing ember. He had been expecting a show once the Syndicate Robot Masters had lured Burner Man out of hiding, and for the most part had not been disappointed. But now that the entertainment was over, Shadow Man hopped nimbly to the sand and rushed deftly toward them as silent as the mist surrounding them, his tabi boots not so much as rustling a bottle cap.

" _Hisashiburi, Yamatoman-kun!_ " Shadow Man greeted as he halted before Yamato Man, bowing. _Long time no see._

Yamato Man returned the bow, his only momentary lapse from keeping his eyes on Shadow Man. "Thank you for your help, Shadowman-san," he replied formally (if coolly) in Japanese. He was as rigid as a dog spotting a fox, Shadow Man easily within skewering distance of his spear.

"Don't mention it, friend…though I expect a generous reward, or I'll destroy everyone you hold dear." Shadow Man was looking him over in a rather impertinent way, his lips twisted as though he'd like to laugh.

"Yamato Man is under no orders from me not to attack you, Shadow Man," Centum broke in, quickly picking up on the tension. The warning was light, yet firm.

Shadow Man rolled his eyes at Yamato Man, grimacing as though a wood rasp had been raked against a violin. " _Oi_ , his Japanese is as bad as his English! Besides, you could never catch me before, why do you think you will succeed now?" He looked carelessly over his shoulder at the hovering orb and asked brassily in English, "What say you, human? Want to see an epic showdown between ninja and samurai?"

"Absolutely not," Centum responded dryly as though he could think of nothing more childish. "Let's remain civil. As grateful as I am, how did you know I was searching for Burner Man?"

Shadow Man gave a small, I-care-not shrug, before locking eyes with Yamato Man again, though his words were directed at Centum. "I put the pieces together. Hiring rogue robots to do your dirty work seemed so out of character for _you,_ human, who only ever acted _with honor_. Obviously someone was causing trouble within the Syndicate. Someone who needed help from the outside to meet their own ends. I _had_ to find out what was going on, so I turned to the most trustworthy bot I knew." He smiled at Yamato Man.

There was a small silence broken only by the slapping of waves against the shore and the creaking of the old pier above. The camera orb's lens had been fixed steadily on Shadow Man, as had Yamato Man's narrowed eyes.

Shadow Man loved the attention. He looked back at the silvery orb. "Remember me?" he asked softly.

There was a degree of respect in this question that Centum could not completely ignore, despite Shadow Man's insulting manner. Centum was also keenly aware that this was one of the rare times Shadow Man had ever shown himself to anyone, both a mark of Shadow Man's esteem and burning curiosity of them.

"You've changed a lot!" Shadow Man continued, "—Besides the obvious. Just so you know, there were never any hard feelings between us. I always thought you were alright, as humans go. I would even give back your solid gold warhorse paperweight but it looks _so good_ on my mantle."

"You may have it. It was a gift from a business associate I didn't like."

"Oh." Shadow Man looked disappointed, but recovered quickly and continued nonchalantly, "For the past few years I've been keeping R.I.P. busy by stealing priceless ornaments from palaces, rare bibelots from private collections, famous trinkets from museums, precious gems from treasuries—"

"Trophies," Centum cut in blandly.

Shadow Man sighed forlornly, ignoring Centum. "Half of the time R.I.P. doesn't even notice." His eyes flickered to Yamato Man. "It's only fun if they notice."

"You're too smart to engage in petty antics against the Robot International Police," said Centum (Shadow Man seemed to swell with delight at the compliment, much to Yamato Man's annoyance). "You mentioned you wanted payment. Name your price and I will consider."

Shadow Man spun on his heel to face the silvery orb. "In return for helping you locate Burner Man, I ask for myself and my best mate to be allowed enter America to do whatever we please while within your domain."

"'To do whatever you please?'" Centum chuckled. "I have not changed that much. To remain in America, you will both need to join the Syndicate or forfeit crime all together. I can't allow two rogue robots to run amuck."

"You want me to join the Syndicate?" Shadow Man considered, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "If you insist. I will accept the position as your supreme leader. You and your robots may address me as Shadowman-sama—the suffix denotes me as someone of higher status, human."

" _Baka…_ " hissed Yamato Man to himself. "Shouldn't ninjas be neither seen nor heard?"

"Thank you for elucidating me," Centum replied sarcastically. "But you know I will not accept those terms either."

"Well then…" Shadow Man uttered with a small sigh, shifting noiselessly backward among the litter, "You leave me no choice but to incite chaos until you agree to my original request. I can find work with a certain mad scientist and that wannabe 'Red Bomber,' an alliance too amusing to refuse…"

Yamato Man tensed at this threat, his spear lowing toward Shadow Man, but he glanced over at the silvery orb.

"Think carefully, Shadow Man," Centum advised. "Tonight I am feeling generous enough to reach a compromise both you and your friend with find acceptable on your own terms, but if you cross me to work for Wily, then I will rescind that generosity, especially considering how privy you are to secrets."

Shadow Man made a rude noise. "You do not frighten me! Besides…you will be too busy dealing with your saboteur to bother with anything else _._ It is _you_ who should think carefully. And now, human, before we part, a poem."

"That's not necessary—"

"Where once were seedlings, now trees twisted and bitter, where has summer gone?" Shadow Man recited, his eyes closed.

"…Thanks."

With a bow to Yamato Man, Shadow Man threw a smoke bomb to the sand, Yamato Man lifting his hand over his eyes reflexively while the camera orb's lens contracted due to over exposure. When the light died, Shadow Man was gone.

* * *

The moon, now full, hung in the sky like a perfect, white disc shining above the sprawling metropolitan of barricades, chain link fences, and thick cement buildings with tiny windows that made up Colossal Laboratory. Crickets sang from the surrounding wetlands that separated the complex from all nearby towns.

Two robo-guards stood at attention at the security gate. They had unpainted steel armor and wore bright yellow caps like construction workers, laser rifles crossed against their chests.

Whistling tunelessly, Proto Man sauntered up from the shadows into the harsh glare of a flood light in front of them.

"Hi guys. Nice night, huh?" he greeted, batting away a moth that was trying to land on his visor.

One of the drones took a step forward, dropping its laser rifle to point directly at Proto Man's chest. "Unauthorized!" it buzzed stupidly, its hinged mouth wagging up and down like a mailbox door.

The second drone mirrored the first drone's actions. "Vacate premises immediately!" it warned.

"Aw…you guys are no fun at all! You gotta…loosen up a little!" replied Proto Man, signaling with his hand.

A _Quick Boomerang_ , a _Rolling Cutter_ , and a _Shadow Blade_ hissed out of the night toward the security guards. They spasmed like vegetables caught in a blender as the blades tore into them, their bodies falling into heaps on the beaten ground with hard clangs.

"Malfunction, terminal error, malfunction!" the robo-drones chanted as sparks danced around their bodies.

"They really went to pieces!" Cut Man laughed wheezily as he, Quick Man, and Shadow Man joined Proto Man.

"Let's get the copter and meet up with Guts Man and Dark Man for some _real_ fun," responded Proto Man as they trooped through the gate.

Shadow Man took off into the complex, and was soon out of sight, his presence only marked by guard drones suddenly dropping to the ground, a _Shadow Blade_ embedded in their necks. This annoyed Quick Man, who had tagged along on this mission specifically to show his worth to Dr. Wily as one of his best Robot Masters, and now was finding himself outdone by the newest recruit, some nobody Robot Master who had come out of nowhere. Supposedly, Shadow Man had been looking to take part in higher-stakes crime, an opportunity Dr. Wily was only too eager to grant in exchange for his eternal allegiance via the Reprogramming Raygun.

"Gee, save some for the rest of us…" complained Proto Man amicably when Shadow Man finally returned to him. Even he couldn't help but be impressed.

Shadow Man merely flashed him a smile. "It's an honor to serve Dr. Wily," he replied, red eyes glinting.

* * *

While Proto Man, Cut Man, Quick Man, and Shadow Man dealt with the security outside, Dark Man and Guts Man prowled through a vacant laboratory lit only by the reddish glow of emergency exit signs and moonlight filtering through a narrow strip of windows near the ceiling. Dark Man had hacked their way inside through a side door. The laboratory itself was meant to house a hundred working scientists at a time and was filled with heavy cutting edge equipment and computer banks filled with a lifetime of research, but they made straight toward a tall nondescript cabinet comprised of locked silver drawers that stretched all the way up to the two-story room.

"It's all here…just like Dr. Wily said," murmured Dark Man, his yellow eyes flashing as he spoke.

"Yeah, it'll be like taking candy from a baby!" chuckled Guts Man, glancing down at a large machine with a delicate needle like arm that his small processor could not fathom the use for.

Dark Man strode over toward the control panel for the tower of locked drawers and began hacking the security protocols. With a pattering of clicks, the drawers all simultaneously unlocked. "You pitch, I'll catch!" he called to Guts Man, taking a step back and waving a white hand at the drawers.

Guts Man crouched low to the ground, then lunged at the storage cabinet, clinging to its side like King Kong scaling a building. The storage cabinet shook, then began to fall forward under his weight, the drawers sliding open. Guts Man leaped away while Dark Man yanked the falling components aside with an electromagnetic net just as the storage cabinet slammed onto the tiled floor with a deafening _clang_ that would be impossible to miss throughout the complex.

Sure enough, alarms began to screech, small red lights flashing from the laboratory wall.

"Uh-oh! Sounds like our exit cue!" muttered Guts Man to Dark Man, who was holding the ends of the electromagnetic net, which hovering over his head like a giant balloon.

The ceiling rattled above them as though hit by a bomb, large chunks caving in.

"And Proto Man's entrance cue!" said Dark Man as a purple tandem rotocopter descended from the sky, two long cables ending in large metal claws dropping through the hole in the ceiling.

After securing their cargo within one of the claws, Guts Man and Dark Man grabbed hold of the other rode it up into the tandem rotocopter's fuselage.

"Easier than a binary equation," commented Proto Man as they joined him in the cockpit.

* * *

It was two in the morning when Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Light were alerted to Dr. Wily's burglary of Colossal Laboratory.

"According to the Colossal Laboratory security director, they stole some very secret state-of-the-art scientific equipment," Dr. Light announced, reading from the Emergency Satellite Scanner's report. He looked tired, his lab coat thrown over his pajamas.

Both Mega Man and Roll were dressed (Roll had been up late in her workshop and had not gone to bed yet, Mega Man had automatically thrown on his armor at the first trill from the Emergency Satellite Scanner, yet was still rubbing sleep from his eyes). However, they had gotten the news too late and the Bad-bots had made a clean get away, so they weren't sure if there was anything else they could do for the night but wait.

"Wily's building something big…" Mega Man mused aloud, "…But what?"

* * *

After returning to Skull Fortress with their stolen goods, Cut Man, Guts Man, Dark Man, Quick Man, Shadow Man, and Proto Man were gathered in an auxiliary laboratory. Dr. Wily stood in front of them with one foot on the raised platform housing his newest invention. It was a giant, heavy machine the size and shape of a circus canon, green glass ovals attached to its mouth, a large power cell welded to its back. It sat at an angle toward the ceiling of the laboratory.

"Mwahahahah! Oh-ho, this planet will never know what hit it!" Dr. Wily cackled. "Only _I,_ Dr. ' _Brilliant Genius'_ Wily, will be able to pick up the pieces."

Dr. Wily marched imperiously down the platform's stairs to the machine's control panel and began working animatedly. Cut Man and Guts Man exchanged glances, Guts Man making a circling motion with his finger at temple height.

Unfortunately for him, Dr. Wily caught sight of the rude hand gesture.

"…Crazy? Do you think I'm… _crazy_?" Dr. Wily hissed in a low, venomous voice, as though this was the first time he had ever been called anything but mild mannered.

"Oh, no, no! Of course not!" Cut Man stammered, throwing up his hands. Guts Man was wringing his own hands, his hulking form stooped cowardly.

Aggravated at having his stride broken, Dr. Wily's glowered at Cut Man and Guts Man with beady eyes hooded by bushy eyebrows, but he resumed in a low steady growl, "—With my new gravitron, I can do what nobody in the history of the world could do…" he stooped back over the control console to finish setting up the machine, which beeped softly in response. Then Dr. Wily suddenly straightened, thrusting an open hand toward the ceiling. "…I can reach out and grab the Moon!"

He laughed wildly, closing his hand as though plucking an imaginary apple from a tree.

The Robot Masters stared in puzzlement, for this was a strange declaration, even by Dr. Wily's usual standards. Dr. Wily had been prowling the dusty floor as though he were commanding a stage, explaining his mad science with the same earsplitting enunciation of an actor hamming their way through Shakespeare, the audience still with rapt attention. In reality, the Robot Masters were just confused what to make of Wily's metaphor, if metaphor it was. Though it was good to see Dr. Wily in what _appeared_ to be his normal mood after the depression he had fallen into over losing Brain Bot, there was something ominous about this new machine that looked (Dark Man had been quick to point out) everything like a super-villain's _doomsday device._

When Dr. Wily's laughter finally died on a high-pitched 'ha,' he dropped his hand to his side and opened a dusty white capsule sitting upon a tripod with the reverence of unlocking an old treasure chest. "And the heart of the Gravitron is my very own invention, the one, _the only_ tachyon capacitor," he breathed, pulling out a cylindrical device the size of a lantern. He inserted it into the base of the larger machine. "…And without it…the Gravitron wouldn't work!"

Proto Man had been listening with his arms crossed and his head tilted. Dr. Wily had gotten to the point in which he ruined his world domination pitch through incomprehensible rambling. He uncrossed his arms. "Yeah, this is, uhhh…. _really cool_ , Doc—but what does the Gravitron _do_ exactly?"

A knotty vein bulged in Dr. Wily's temple, though his voice remained calm. "'Exactly?'" he repeated, lifting small foam models of the Earth and moon from a lab table. "I'll tell you 'exactly!' It can pull the Moon out of its orbit!"

The Robot Masters were not without their concerns about this statement.

"But that will cause tidal waves!" pointed out Dark Man, his suspicion about the 'doomsday device' confirmed.

"Earthquakes!" added Shadow Man, a brow raised.

"Huge storms!" put in Quick Man rapidly, not wanting to be out done by the others again.

 _"_ _Precisely,"_ hissed Dr. Wily in satisfaction as he began juggling the foam models from hand to hand, his small blue eyes sliding back and forth in a lizard-like way. _"_ I will create chaos! Destroy everything! And when I put the moon _back_ into its orbit with my Gravitron," he stopped juggling, his eyes fixing on the robots instead. " _I'll_ be the only one who can rebuild the world! Mankind will _beg_ me to take over!"

He dropped the foam models carelessly to the laboratory floor (the Earth bumping against a storage locker, the moon rolling out of reach beneath a computer terminal), as he returned to the Gravitron's control panel, trembling with excitement over his new plan.

"And the best part—ohohoh, the very best part is…" Dr. Wily growled, punching in a command to open a circular hatch in the laboratory ceiling, the moon shining serenely through the opening as the graviton powered on with a low hum. "I have finally gotten the best of Dr. Light! Mwhahahaha!"

A thin violet beam pierced the night, connecting the heart of Skull Fortress with the moon.

**_To be continued…_ **


End file.
